Marketed as the next environmentally friendly and convenient transportation mode for commuters navigating city streets, electric scooters are popping up in major cities all over the country. It seems this new trend has become more a point of contention than celebration in both Santa Monica and Los Angeles with pedestrian injuries on the rise as a result.
According to the Washington Post, in Santa Monica alone, electric scooter riders were involved in 281 traffic stops and issued 97 citations in the span of just a few weeks. Additionally, the Santa Monica Fire Department responded to eight scooter related accidents with both riders and unsuspecting pedestrians sustaining serious injuries including head trauma and broken bones.
Inherent Hazards of Electric Scooters
It seems scooter riders are both causing and becoming victims of injury associated with this new trend. Influencing factors include:
- Electric scooters that are not mechanically sound or maintained causing crashes when brakes, tires, and handlebars malfunction.
- Riders that do not adhere to basic safety rules involving right-of-way with pedestrians.
- Riders who neglect to wear safety equipment such as bike helmets while weaving through crowded streets.
- Riders who strike potholes, or crash because of unexpected hazards in the road.
- Pedestrians tripping over abandoned scooters when docking stations are not provided.
Clearly, electric scooter riders, pedestrians, and sidewalks do not mix. Santa Monica officials continue to sound the alarm with the city’s Deputy Manager stating: “It’s very dangerous, and these are high-speed serious transportation devices.”
Who will step up to take responsibility in the event that you or someone you care about is involved in a serious scooter related accident? Will it be the scooter driver haphazardly operating the vehicle? The city, responsible for hazards in the road or even the unsuspecting driver who clips a rider in traffic? We can help you sort through all of the complicated details. Contact us, the personal injury legal experts at Lederer & Nojima. We have a history of success and the resources necessary. We will stand by your side until your case is resolved.
