Since 2018, electric scooters, or e-scooters, are becoming more popular nationwide, providing riders with a more accessible and fun way to get around town. The accessibility comes after the dockless scooter companies Bird and Lime got the approval to offer rentable electric scooters. Together, these and other companies have placed over 1,000 scooters on Fort Worth streets, and the number is growing.
However, that doesn’t mean these electric scooters come without inherent dangers. Also increasing are severe personal injuries and expensive damages caused by an electric scooter accident.
While scooter accidents are usually minor and cause the victims just a little more than scrapes, many people still suffer severe injuries after an electric scooter crash.
If you or a loved one has sustained serious injuries in an electric scooter accident, contact an experienced Fort Worth electric scooter accident lawyer at Heller Law Office at 817-612-4800 to schedule a free consultation today.Our lawyers can help you determine whether you are eligible to seek compensation for lost wages, medical bills, and more.
How a Fort Worth Personal Injury Trial Law Firm Can Help If You’ve Sustained Injuries in an Electric Scooter Accident
An e-scooter accident claim may involve multiple insurance companies: the driver, the victim, and the electric scooter company. It can, therefore, be difficult to know exactly who’s at fault and which insurance company will hear your claim to offer you a fair settlement without the help of an attorney.
The good news is that while you focus on recovering from your e-scooter injuries, our personal injury lawyers in Fort Worth can take care of the legal processes for you.
At Heller Law Office, we’ve helped numerous clients avoid lowball settlements and instead recover fair compensation after an accident. With our professional help, you’ll be in a strong position to claim the financial compensation you deserve from those responsible for your injuries.
When you hire our Fort Worth personal injury law firm to represent you, you’ll have an experienced legal team to:
- Listen to your story and guide you through the legal process
- Carefully investigate and examine the circumstances surrounding your case
- Investigate to establish fault, causation, and liability
- Hire and consult with experts to assess evidence and strengthen your case
- Negotiate with the insurance agency on your behalf
- Fight your electric scooter accident case at trial if necessary
- Defend you against allegations that you share blame for getting hurt
Personal injury claims are sometimes complicated. Therefore, you need a knowledgeable and experienced Texas personal injury lawyer in your corner.
We offer a free consultation of your case and work on contingency, so asking for our help comes with no risks since you pay nothing unless we win your case. So contact us to schedule a free consultation today.
Electric Scooter Accidents on the Rise
As the popularity of electric scooters has boomed in cities across Texas and the United States, so too have severe scooter-related injuries. Thousands of people have been hurt, and several others have died. Trauma center officials in various cities have confirmed a significant rise in ER visits related to electric scooter accidents.
According to a CNBC report, the Dell Seaton Medical Center in Texas reports 66 serious trauma injuries, including 33 orthopedic injuries, 19 head injuries, and 13 facial injuries. In addition, a separate study found increased injuries related to electric scooters. The report showed almost 40,000 head injuries, fractures, cuts, and bruises from scooter crashes treated in ERs in the U.S. between 2014 and 2018.
In addition, there are several news outlets around the world with records of the dramatic increase in the number of e-scooter accidents:
- Two deaths were reported in Austin and Dallas, marking the first electric scooter-related deaths in both cities.
- In Austin, medical officials received 68 reports related to scooter accidents and 37 emergency calls in a little over two months,
- ERs in various states have experienced a 160% surge in patients hurt by electric scooters.
The problem stretches across Texas, and experts believe it is only getting worse as electric scooters are becoming increasingly popular across various cities.
What Causes an Electric Scooter Accident?
Electric scooter accidents happen for several reasons. However, negligence and human error are the leading causes of electric scooter wrecks.
Some of the most common causes include:
- Distracted or inattentive driving
- Drug and alcohol use
- Electric scooter malfunction
- Road defects
Other causes, including speeding, bad weather conditions, fatigue, darkness, limited visibility, scooter rider negligence, and more, can contribute to e-scooter accidents in Texas.
The fact that electric scooters have a speed limit of 35 mph or lower makes them especially risky because they travel far too slowly for regular roads but too fast for sidewalks. However, they are usually safe on bicycle paths, which are not always available.
What are the Common Types of Injuries in an Electric Scooter Accident?
According to a report by Rutgers University, face, and head injuries are among the most common electric scooter-related injuries. Hospitals and ERs report experiencing these types of scooter injuries triple in recent years. It’s estimated that nearly 32,000 people suffered severe face and head injuries in electric scooter accidents in 2017– up from 6,947 people in 2008.
Some of the reported head and face injuries include:
- Skull fractures
- Contusions, concussions, hemorrhages, and other closed-head injuries
- Broken nose
- Cuts and abrasions
The massive number of head injuries is likely because, like bicycles, about two-thirds of e-scooter riders do not wear helmets since the rental companies don’t provide any, and few riders and pedestrians carry helmets.
At Heller Law Office, we’re here to help no matter what type of personal injuries you’ve suffered in an electric scooter accident in Fort Worth, Texas, including:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Strains, sprains, and other soft tissue injuries
- Fractures and broken bones
- Facial lacerations
- Broken ribs
- Back injuries
- Neck injury
- Knee injuries
- Burns
- Wrongful death
Electric scooter accidents have caused countless injuries, some of them fatal. And while some scooter riders may only lose their balance, others lose lives. If you have been involved in an e scooter accident, contact the Fort Worth personal injury attorneys at Heller Law Office to evaluate your case.
What is My Electric Scooter Case Worth?
Personal injury cases are usually different. Therefore, our legal team will carefully evaluate your individual case to help determine its value.
Here are some of the factors that will be crucial in evaluating how much your electric scooter accident case is worth:
- The severity and type of your injuries
- The cost of your current and past medical bills
- The valued cost of your future medical treatments, rehabilitation, care, etc.
- Your physical and emotional suffering
- Whether you’ll need to take a break from work to recover
- The impact of your injury on future education, employment, or quality of life
Usually, you’ll need to first file a claim with the insurer to seek compensation. However, suppose the insurance company tries to downplay the severity of your damages for a poor settlement. In that case, our lawyers can help ensure your case is strong enough to deliver you financial victory.
What Damages Are Available in an Electric Scooter Accident?
In Texas, you can file a personal injury claim or lawsuit to seek compensation for economic and non-economic damages after an electric scooter accident. Economic damages help with your financial losses, while non-economic damages help cover the consequences of the e-scooter crash that can’t be easily calculated.
Common damages that may be available in an e-scooter injury case include:
- Present and future medical bills
- Lost wages
- Disability
- Reduced or lost future earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
- Emotional and mental distress
- Scarring or disfigurement
- Diminished quality of life
- Loss of consortium
In some cases, punitive damages may be awarded if the jury determines that you sustained injuries due to an electric scooter riders fraudulent, intentional, or grossly negligent conduct.
Our lawyers at Heller Law Office can tirelessly help you prove that you suffered there or other damages and fight for the full compensation you deserve from the liable party.
Can I Recover Compensation in Texas If I’m Being Blamed For My Electric Scooter Accident?
Yes! Under Texas’s modified comparative negligence laws, accident victims don’t automatically lose the right to recover compensation even if they are getting blamed for being partly responsible for the crash. However, this applies only if you are assigned less than 50% blame for the accident.
Texas observes a 51% bar compensation recovery after an accident. So once your liability surpasses half (50%), you forfeit the right to sue other responsible parties for compensation in a personal injury claim. Damages are also usually reduced in proportion to the share of fault assigned to you, even if you’re less than 50% at fault.
What’s the Statue of Limitations Regarding Filing an Electric Scooter Accident Lawsuit in Texas?
Under Texas law, you’ll typically have two years from the date of the scooter accident to file a lawsuit in Fort Worth, Texas, or you lose your right to file a claim, demand accountability, and recover any compensation.
While this may seem like a lot of time to file your case, the longer you wait, the more difficult it becomes to recover fair compensation. In addition, after some time, it becomes challenging to prove the facts in your case, such as linking your injuries to the accident and proving the severity of the injuries.
Consult with experienced electric scooter injury attorneys in Fort Worth, Texas, to protect your legal claim.
Contact a Fort Worth Electric Scooter Accident Lawyer to Set Up a Free Consultation
If you or a loved one has been recently injured in an electric scooter accident in Fort Worth, Texas, you could be entitled to financial compensation for loss of income, medical expenses, and mental anguish. Don’t hesitate to contact us at Heller Law Office or call 817-612-4800 for a free, no-obligation consultation of your case. Our experienced Fort Worth electric scooter accident lawyers are ready to fight and help you seek the maximum compensation you need and deserve.