Ridesharing services make traveling through busy metropolitan areas much less of a hassle. However, if you’re traveling through Chicago, you may find that your destination isn’t far enough away to hire and pay for a rideshare car, but just far enough to make it a hike if you choose to walk.
One of Chicago’s solutions to this problem is through shared electric scooters, which operate like other rideshare services. But with so many people on e-scooters, there are bound to be accidents that cause injuries. This kind of service is so new, and those who are injured may not know how to proceed with insurance or what their options are. Luckily, the Chicago electric scooter accident lawyers from Krzak Rundio Gorman, Injury Attorneys can make sure you get the justice you deserve.
Rental Electric Scooters in Chicago
Electric rental scooters, often referred to as e-scooters, are scooters you can rent through a rideshare app. They’re dockless, meaning you pick them up via the map on the rideshare app you’re using. After paying, you can ride the e-scooter to your destination. Upon arriving, you’re supposed to park the e-scooter out of the way and end the ride on the app. Then you’ll see how much the ride cost you.
Lime and Bird are two popular electric scooter rideshare services who may be coming to Chicago. The city is looking to work with companies like them to provide these scooters to citizens so they can get through the city in a simple and cost-effective way. These devices will be available in the Northwest, Southwest, and West sides.
In theory, this seems like a great idea. Unfortunately, people will not always have safety and precaution at the forefront of their minds. An electric scooter can travel up to 15 mph, which may not seem fast. However, traveling at this speed while having to watch out for people and objects can become difficult. Also, these scooters aren’t supposed to be used on sidewalks or ridden between the hours of 10 p.m. or 5 a.m. If someone doesn’t follow these rules, they may put others in danger.
All it takes for an accident to occur is for someone to act negligently. If someone riding an e-scooter doesn’t fully focus, there’s a chance that they will crash and injure someone. There are a few ways they can do this.
- Cell Phone Use. Everyone is familiar with the concept of distracted driving, but this also applies to electric scooters. If you’re going to an address that you’ve never been to before, you may think about using your phone’s GPS to get to your destination. This could lead to riding the e-scooter while looking at your phone. Your eyes aren’t ahead of you and you don’t have full control of the handlebars.
- Eating and Drinking. Some people may try to multitask if they’re in a rush. If someone is trying to drink a coffee or eat a snack while riding the electric scooter, they will have less control of the device.
- Disobeying Traffic Laws. Those riding electric scooters need to obey traffic laws just as those who are driving cars, riding bikes, and walking. When e-scooter riders ride into traffic or don’t brake when they should, they will likely cause a crash because the other people are paying attention to the traffic signs.
If you’ve been injured in an accident involving an e-scooter and feel legal action may be an option, our electric scooter attorneys will look into your case and find the cause of your accident. We’ll compile evidence that may be able to be used to show how you were wrongfully injured.
Electric scooter injuries have the potential to be severe. They could keep someone from returning to work or give them an injury that causes chronic pain for the rest of their life. Let’s learn more about e-scooter injuries.
What Kind of Electric Scooter Injuries Have Past Studies Shown?
Chicago isn’t the first city to get rental electric scooters. Other major cities have had them, and they do come with their disadvantages. Austin Public Health conducted a study entitled: Dockless Electric Scooter-Related Injuries Study using data from Austin, Texas. The study focused on 271 people with potential electric scooter accident injuries. Of that group, there were 192 injured people, with 190 people being riders and 2 being non-riders.
About 80 of the injured riders sustained severe injuries.
- 84% of injuries were bone fractures, not including injuries to the nose, fingers, or toes.
- 45% of injuries affected nerves, tendons, and or ligaments.
- 8% of people spent more than 48 hours in the hospital.
- Severe bleeding occurred in 5% of people and 1% of people sustained organ damage.
This shows that e-scooters are able to severely hurt people. Harm can come to riders or those involved in a crash. If you’ve been in this situation, you should seek out an electric scooter accident attorney to help you protect your rights.
Get Legal Representation from Krzak Rundio Gorman, Injury Attorneys
If you’ve suffered from an electric scooter injury, our personal injury firm may be able to help. We know how to help you get the compensation you are entitled to if somebody else wrongfully caused your injuries. Our lawyers will do everything possible to get you a fair settlement so you can focus on your recovery. To get started on your claim, contact our office today. In a free consultation, you’ll speak with us about your case and we’ll discuss your legal options.
