Due to their accessibility, use, and relatively low cost to ride, electric scooters have become more and more popular over the years, which leads to more E-scooter accidents. Unfortunately, as more people use e-scooters, more fatal accidents also happen. In addition to the riders, pedestrians and drivers are also at risk when using electric scooters. Finding the responsible party in an accident is complex; therefore, choosing the correct legal counsel is crucial to winning your case.
Scooter accidents that result in severe or fatal injuries include the following:
Here are seven California e-scooter laws you should be aware of to keep users safe and assist in preventing accidents:
You can bring a wrongful death lawsuit against:
Manufacturers may be held accountable if the scooter is faulty or violates state laws. Electric scooter manufacturers may be held responsible if their business creates a defective part resulting in a mishap.
Another driver may be responsible for an accident if he acted carelessly or recklessly and contributed to the accident.
A government organization might be liable for wrongful death if a poorly maintained road sidewalk, curb, or traffic light brought the accident.
To recover damages incurred due to the decedent's untimely death, the survivors and the personal representative of the decedent's estate can file a wrongful death action. Here are some damages that family members can recover:
You must take early action to preserve your potential rights in a wrongful death claim. In general, you have two years from the date of the incident or death to bring a wrongful death claim in California. There is a six-month deadline for filing a lawsuit against a government entity. These are strict rules, and there are very few exceptions.
We have experience managing wrongful death claims, and we can assist you in recovering compensation from the person or business that caused the death. Call us today at (310) 943-1171. Visit our website to view our other practices.
California law doesn’t directly require a person who wants to use an electronic scooter to purchase insurance. Though, since in California, all electric scooter operators must have a valid driver’s license, and drivers’ licenses require auto insurance, then an e-scooter user will likely have an auto insurance policy. It is worth mentioning that California does not require registration, plate display, or insurance for privately owned electric scooters.
In case an electric scooter operator unlawfully crosses an intersection or mounts and causes injures to a cyclist, pedestrian, or anyone else, the scooter operator can face liability for the incident and inappropriate use of an electric scooter.
An injured electronic scooter rider can be eligible for damage recovery in case he can establish that someone else’s negligence caused or contributed to the accident. This burden of proof takes establishing:
If a person rents an electric scooter from a rideshare service, the company can be legally responsible for any injuries. In case the company fails to properly service a defective or damaged e-scooter or didn’t give proper instructions for use or safety warnings, it can face liability for an injured scooter operator’s damages. If an e-scooter manufacturer released an unreasonably defective or dangerous device that caused injuries to a person, the injured consumer can bring a product liability claim against the manufacturer. In case a vehicle driver negligently hits an electric scooter then the case follows a standard framework to other personal injury claims. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fl-Gw4mXHE[/embed] Have you been hurt due to a defective electric scooter or a rideshare company’s negligence? If so, we invite you to contact our experienced product liability lawyers in Los Angeles to discuss the details of your situation. Our dedicated attorneys will do everything in our power to help you out!