A Scooter Accident Attorney Can Help Your Case
Electric scooters have dramatically increased in popularity over the last several years, largely in thanks to rideshare companies who allow their scooters to be ridden and parked anywhere within certain cities. However, this rise in usage has caused a large uptick in the number of electric scooter accidents each year.
Scooter accidents can lead to serious injuries, property damage, and even fatalities. If you’ve been injured due to the negligence of another person or a scooter company, The Advocates can help. Our personal injury attorneys have been representing accident victims in their personal injury cases for more than two decades. Contact us today for a free consultation.
How The Advocates Can Help Your Scooter Accident Claim
When you’ve been injured in an accident, the last thing you likely want to do is spend your time fighting insurance companies and worrying about how to pay your bills. You should be able to focus on feeling better. When The Advocates legal team takes on your personal injury claim, we take on the stressful parts of the legal process for you.
Insurance companies will not make it easy for you to get the settlement you deserve. They may give you a lowball offer, try to diminish the severity of your injuries, or deny liability altogether. The Advocates have nearly 30 years of experience in negotiating with insurance providers, and we know the tricks they try to use to avoid offering you full compensation.
When you hire an Advocate for your scooter accident claim, we will take care of building your case, negotiating with insurance adjusters, and representing you in court. You will be able to concentrate on your physical recovery.
$2.5 Million
Head-on Car Crash
$1.3 Million
Side Impact Auto Accident
$1.0 Million
Side Impact Car Crash
$1.1 Million
Semi-Truck Auto Accident
$1.2 Million
Multiple Vehicle Collision
A Team of Scooter Accident Professionals Assigned to Your Case
The Advocates go above and beyond for you and your injury case. In addition to fierce negotiation and litigation, your Advocate is prepared to help you:
- Access the medical care you need
- Communicate with your employer regarding your accident
- Help you understand your medical bills and other expenses
- Provide regular updates about your case
"Hiring The Advocates was the best move I could have made after my accident. They were very professional and made me feel confident my case would go smoothly. They really put me at ease. I would recommend them to anyone!" - Robert S.
Why You Need a Scooter Accident Lawyer
Hiring an experienced scooter accident attorney is the very best way to prevent insurance companies from taking advantage of your scooter injury claim. Studies have shown the profound effect hiring an attorney can have on your injury claim, potentially increasing the value of your case by up to 3.5 times compared to settling on your own. Don’t let the insurance companies push you around. Hire The Advocates personal injury law firm and make them pay what you are owed according to Utah law.
The Advocates Scooter Accident Claim Process
Investigate the Accident
The first step The Advocates will take is investigating your accident. Our attorneys do this by obtaining a police report about your accident, examining any photos or videos of the crash scene, and speaking to any relevant witnesses. Once we have established liability, we will begin to build your injury claim.
Build Your Claim
Building your scooter accident injury claim is one of the most time-consuming steps in the entire process. Our staff must wait until you have finished treatment for your injuries before we can compile a comprehensive medical record of the injuries you have suffered from your accident.
Negotiate a Settlement
Once you have finished receiving medical care and your records have been gathered, your attorney will send out a demand package to the at-fault party’s insurance. Afterwards, negotiations with your attorney will begin. If the other party refuses to make a fair offer, you have the option to file a suit.
Litigate If Necessary
Time-wise, litigation is the longest step in the claim process, possibly extending the life of your claim one or two years. If you do decide to file a lawsuit, be prepared to potentially appear before a judge and jury.
Types of Claims Our Scooter Accident Attorneys Represent
E-scooter accidents can vary greatly in their severity and circumstances. Depending on the area, scooters may be ridden on streets, sidewalks, or multipurpose paths, meaning that scooter riders must interact with drivers of motor vehicles, bicyclists, pedestrians, fixed objects, and more while riding.
If you’ve been injured in an accident due to any of the following, our attorneys are standing by to help you:
Negligence by a driver of a motor vehicle
- Driver failing to check blind spots
- Driver failing to yield right-of-way
- Impaired driving
- Distracted driving
Negligence by the rider of an e-scooter
- Rider failing to follow rules of the road
- Impaired riding
- Distracted riding
Mechanical failure on a rideshare scooter
- Brake failure
- Stuck accelerator
- Locked wheels
- Scooter losing power midway through ride
Utah Scooter Injury Statistics
Car accidents, bicycle crashes, and motorcycle accidents are still the most common types of motor vehicle collisions on Utah roads, but e-scooter accidents have been increasing quickly over the last several years. Below are statistics regarding electric scooter accidents in Utah and throughout the United States.
What are common scooter accident injuries?
Because e-scooter accidents can vary so greatly in nature, there are a wide variety of injuries that can result from them. Common injuries resulting from scooter accidents include:
- Head injuries, including traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Broken bones
- Lacerations, bruising, and road rash
- Broken teeth
- Sprains and strains
What are common causes of scooter crashes?
The most common cause of accidents involving scooters and motor vehicles is the driver’s failure to yield to the scooter– usually when the vehicles are turning at intersections.
Accidents involving scooters and pedestrians are also far too common; many of the scooters travel at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour, which can seriously harm an unsuspecting pedestrian.
Another major hazard involving electric scooters is the scooter being left lying in the middle of the sidewalk or on the roadway. Because the scooters are dockless, the companies allow them to be left just about anywhere within their service radius. However, this creates a huge safety issue.
When scooters are left lying on the sidewalk, bicyclists and pedestrians may accidentally fall over them. They create dangerous obstacles for disabled people, as blind people and those in wheelchairs may have difficulty navigating around them.
Scooters left on the side of the road can seriously harm drivers and bikers. In early 2022, a motorcyclist in St. George was killed after striking an e-scooter lying in the roadway.
When and where are scooter accidents most likely to occur?
Most e-scooter accidents occur on or near sidewalks. As scooter riders exit sidewalks into intersections, drivers may fail to see them or anticipate their entrance onto the road. Other accidents that occur on sidewalks frequently involve pedestrians being hit by scooters, or scooter riders colliding with fixed objects, such as trash cans, trees, or light posts.
How many scooter accidents happen in Utah each year?
The relative newness of dockless e-scooters makes it difficult to know what the average number of scooter accidents is each year in the state. Shortly after the scooters were introduced to Salt Lake City in 2018, however, one hospital reported a 161% increase in emergency room patients, treating 21 scooter accident victims in a 3-month period.
Nationwide, emergency room visits related to electric scooter accidents rose from 7,700 in 2017 to 27,700 in 2019.
Utah Scooter Laws
Utah has very few state laws regarding the use of e-scooters on public roads. In most cases, regulation of electric scooters is left up to local jurisdictions. Below are laws and regulations for some cities and towns in Utah. If you are planning to ride an electric scooter in any Utah city, it is important that you are informed of local laws before you ride.
Do scooter riders have to wear a helmet?
There is no state-wide helmet requirement for scooters, bicycles, or other similar vehicles in Utah. Most cities and counties also do not have laws regarding helmets for any riders of any age.
Some scooter share companies (such as Lime), require helmet use for riders under the age of 18. Some companies offer to send riders a free helmet if requested, however, riders must pay for shipping and wait several days for the helmet to arrive.
Where can e-scooters be parked?
In Salt Lake City, the general rule of thumb for parking dockless scooters is to leave them in the green space between the sidewalk and curb. However, they may not be parked at bus stops, bike racks, lamp posts, or other street poles. They also may not be left on the sidewalk where they will impede the flow of pedestrian traffic, or in parking spots along the side of the road.
In Provo, scooters may not be parked on the sidewalk. Anyone can report an improperly parked scooter by calling the phone number on the scooter.
Can e-scooters ride on the sidewalk?
Many Utah cities prohibit electric scooters on city sidewalks, including Salt Lake City and Provo. In these cities, e-scooters must ride in the bike lane or near the right side of the roadway.
In St. George, scooters may be ridden on the sidewalk on roads with speed limits of greater than 25 miles per hour.
Some college campuses, such as Utah State University and University of Utah, allow e-scooters in certain areas of the campus. Brigham Young University prohibits electric scooters in all areas of campus.
What rights and responsibilities do e-scooter riders have on Utah roadways?
When a scooter rider is operating an electric scooter on a city road, they must follow the same rules as bicyclists. This includes obeying all signs and signals, as well as yielding the right-of-way when applicable.
In cities where scooters may be ridden on the sidewalk, scooter riders must yield to pedestrians, cross the street at crosswalks, and obey the speed limit for the sidewalk.
In return, drivers of motor vehicles must yield to scooter riders as they would to bicyclists.