California E-Scooter Accidents

As commuters look for new and creative ways to get to work and lower their cost at the gas pump, electric scooters have emerged as a favorite way to travel. Whether you rent one from the many scooter sharing companies like Lime and Bird or you own yours outright, these nifty scooters can be a great way to get around town. But they can also lead to California e-scooter accidents.

Injuries are on the rise involving riders who fall off scooters or collide with cars and pedestrians. Injuries can range from scrapes, cuts, and broken bones to head trauma or worse. If you’ve been injured in a scooter-related incident, it’s essential to consult with a skilled pedestrian accident lawyer to protect your rights and seek the compensation you deserve. If you’ve been injured, an e-scooter accident attorney may be able to secure financial compensation to cover medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. The best way to find out what you could be entitled to is to speak to an e-scooter accident lawyer who can assess your case.

Why Choose Our Electric Scooter Accident Lawyer?

A California e-scooter accident attorney at Neale & Fhima, specializing in accident claim lawyers, gives you an advantage over the insurance companies. That’s because we have an outstanding track record of success in handling claims for our clients! Attorney Aaron Fhima has decades of experience in aggressively representing injury accident clients. He is supported by a legal team that shows compassion and care for each client we serve. We receive outstanding testimonials.

How We Can Help

At Neale & Fhima, we are experienced in helping electric scooter accident victims in California understand their legal rights. We will fight to get the maximum payout possible. Here are the ways we can help. We will:

1. Explain your legal options
2. Interview witnesses
3. Gather evidence
4. Conduct an accident scene investigation
5. Review police reports
6. Hire expert witnesses, if needed
7. Use medical tests and treatment plans to prove your injuries
8. Construct a powerful and convincing lawsuit and file all motions and documents with the court
9. Negotiate aggressively with insurance companies on your behalf
10. Argue your case in court, if needed

Studies show that victims represented by attorneys receive significantly higher payouts than do individuals who try to represent themselves in court. At Neale & Fhima, our skilled and experienced personal injury attorneys know how to make complicated and opaque laws work in your favor. Call us at 888-407-2955 for a free consultation.

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Electric Scooter Accidents in California

A recent study in JAMA Surgery found that the yearly number of electric scooter injuries in the U.S. climbed a whopping 222% from 4,582 in 2014, when the e-scooter industry was in its infancy, to 14,651 in 2018, when e-scooters exploded across North America and Europe. The number of e-scooters on California bike paths – and e-scooter injuries — are only expected to increase through 2025 and beyond.

U.S. hospital emergency rooms treated nearly 40,000 head injuries, cuts, broken bones, and sprains resulting from scooter accidents in recent years, according to one study. The scooter injury rate in the U.S. climbed from 6 per 100,000 to 19 per 100,000 during this time.

California has already experienced its first scooter-related deaths as more and more residents hop on e-scooters to commute to work or for recreation. The number of e-scooter accidents in San Francisco jumped 58% in 2021.

If you’ve been injured in an electric scooter accident in California, you may be entitled to financial compensation. This is especially true if the accident was caused by someone else’s negligence. A California e-scooter accident attorney at Neale & Fhima will fight to get the compensation you deserve.

California E-Scooter Accident FAQs

Our California e-scooter accident lawyers see more and more clients injured on scooters, and we hear a lot of the same questions. For your convenience, here are answers to some of the most commonly asked questions.

• Are e-scooters legal in most cities in California?

  Many cities in California allow e-scooters, but some cities have chosen to ban or significantly restrict them because officials believe e-scooters are too dangerous. Rental e-scooter companies have been banned in places like Ventura City, Goleta, San Luis Obispo and Pismo Beach, though some cities later approved usage after initially banning it. San Francisco has re-introduced e-scooter rental companies after first banning them, and they are now thriving. San Diego recently proposed a sweeping crackdown on scooter usage.

• What is the statute of limitations for filing an e-scooter accident claim?

  The statute of limitations for an e-scooter accident claim is two years. Your California e-scooter accident lawyer must file a lawsuit seeking compensation for your injuries within this time frame, or a judge could dismiss your case.

• How do most e-scooter accidents happen?

  Many scooter accidents involve a motor vehicle, and these are often the most devastating because cars, SUVs, and trucks are much bigger and heavier than scooters, so the scooter driver experiences the brunt of impact. Other e-scooter accidents involve a scooter colliding with a pedestrian or bicyclist because they share bike paths and trails in California.

• How much do electric scooters cost?

  Electric scooters can cost anywhere from $130 to $400, depending on their design and sophistication.

• How is an e-scooter defined in California and where can you ride it?

  The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) defines motorized scooters in the following way:

  • A motorized scooter has 2 wheels, handlebars, a motor, and a floorboard that you stand on while riding.
  • You can only drive motorized scooters on a bicycle path, trail, or bikeway, not on a sidewalk. Electric scooters can only travel on roadways where the speed limit is 35 mph or lower unless there is a bike lane.
  • You cannot exceed a speed of 15 mph while riding an e-scooter in California.
  • You can drive a motorized scooter with any class driver license.
  • You do not need to register motorized scooters.
• Can I sue an e-scooter manufacturer?

  If your injury was caused by a defect in the e-scooter you were riding (such as failed brakes, faulty steering, etc.), then you may be able to file a product liability claim against the manufacturer.

• Can I sue an e-scooter rental company?

  If you rented an e-scooter from one of the many commercial rental companies and were then injured, you could potentially sue the company if they failed to maintain, repair, and replace their scooters to ensure consumer safety.

• How is fault determined in an e-scooter accident in California?

  Vehicle drivers, e-scooter riders, pedestrians, bicyclists and others can be at fault for scooter accidents, depending on the facts in a case. California is a “pure comparative negligence” state, which means you can file a lawsuit for injuries even if you were significantly at fault for the accident.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an e-scooter accident, contact Neale & Fhima to find out what your case might be worth.

What Makes E-Scooters Dangerous?

E-scooters can be a lot of fun for adults and children, but only if they’re handled responsibly with an eye toward safety. They can be dangerous because …

• E-scooters are ridden on California trails and bike paths, making collisions with pedestrians and bicyclists a hazard.
• E-scooters are much smaller and less visible than cars and trucks, and other drivers may not notice them when in traffic.
• E-scooters require balance, and riders can lose their balance and fall off, hitting the pavement hard.
• Small wheels make e-scooters less stable than bicycles and cars. It’s easy to crash when riders hit bumps in the asphalt.

Wearing a helmet and driving defensively can reduce the likelihood of e-scooter accidents.

Damages You May Be Entitled To

If you are injured in a California electric scooter accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to economic and non-economic damages. These include:

Economic

• Lost wages
• Medical and hospital bills
• Cost of future medical care and rehabilitation
• Property damage
• Loss of future earnings potential
• Wrongful death

Non-Economic

• PTSD and emotional distress
• Scarring and disfigurement
• Loss of consortium
• Pain and suffering

The amount of money you receive depends on the severity of your injuries, portion of fault, number of defendants, amount of property damage, and other relevant factors. An e-scooter accident lawyer can assess your claim and estimate what your case could be worth. Call us at 888-407-2955.

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California Electric Scooter Legal Requirements

California Vehicle Code Sections 21220 through 21235 cover motorized scooters. Following is an easy reference:

• CVC§21220: California Legislative declaration of intent to “add this article to promote the use of alternative low-emission or no-emission transportation.
• CVC§21220.5: Sets forth the definition of motorized scooter.
• CVC§21221: Concerning operating a motorized scooter under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.
• CVC§21221.5: Concerning arrests for DUI and testing.
• CVC§21223: About the safety equipment required to operate a motorized scooter at night.
• CVC§21224: Concerning license plate requirements and registration
• CVC§21225: Sets forth local authority’s ability to regulate scooter traffic
• CVC§21226: Regulates the sale of second-hand motorized scooters
• CVC§21227: States that a motorized scooter must have brakes
• CVC§21228: Where and how to ride a motorized scooter, including how to make a right-hand turn and avoid debris in the lane
• CVC§21229: Where and how to ride in the bicycle lane, including how to make a left turn
• CVC§21230: States that a motorized scooter may be operated on a pathway or trail unless a local agency with jurisdiction says otherwise.
• CVC§21235: What you cannot do when you operate a motorized scooter
• CVC§22411: The stated maximum speed a motorized scooter can go.

Electric Scooter Statistics

As the popularity of e-scooters soars in both California and nationwide, statistics have emerged. These include:

• The average electric scooter trip is 7.45 miles and takes 12 minutes and 2 seconds.
• There have been 84 million scooter rides in the U.S., and that only accounts for rental scooter rides.
• Electric scooters, originally created for leisure, are now primarily being used for transport and commuting.
• E-scooters are replacing bicycles and walking for all trip types.
• Roughly 58% of people surveyed say electric scooters help connect people to their city.

One of the more unpleasant statistics show that e-scooter injuries are rapidly on the rise. As more and more people discover these scooters, many more will be on trails and roadways. That’s why some California cities have taken a closer look at regulating scooters to reduce collisions and ensure consumer safety.

Contact a California E-Scooter Accident Lawyer Today

A skilled California e-scooter accident lawyer at Neale & Fhima will fight for the compensation you deserve if you’ve been injured. E-scooter accidents can be serious because riders have so little protection, scooters can be hard to see, and they are much smaller and lighter than other vehicles on the road. If you’ve sustained a spine or neck injury, burns, TBI or any other injury due to an electric scooter accident in California, Neale & Fhima, the experienced spinal cord injury lawyers, can help you seek financial compensation. Call us at 888-407-2955 for a free consultation about your case.

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