Injured in an E-Scooter Accident in NYC? Call Our New York City Electric Scooter Accident Lawyer to Learn Your Rights to Compensation
Electric scooters, also known as e-scooters, are a type of personal transportation device that can help individuals travel short distances quickly and efficiently. While many types of e-scooters were originally viewed as toys and for entertainment, in New York City it was quickly realized that e-scooters were ideal for touring large areas or for commuting to work, the grocery store, family or friend’s houses, or to other nearby locations. Electric scooters have rapidly grown too, with statistics from the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) revealing that, out of a total 84 million trips/uses of city bike share programs around the United States, approximately 38 million trips/uses were e-scooters.
This trend is only growing in the five boroughs, as the NYC DOT announced the launch of an e- scooter pilot program in the East Bronx this year. The East Bronx pilot program has brought in major e-scooter manufacturers like Bird, Lime, and Veo to our city streets, adding up to 3,000 e-scooters with the potential to increase to up to 6,000 next year. The overall reception to the program and the idea has been positive.
However, some local Bronx residents and critics are finding it dangerous. This is partially because the pandemic created several delays in the e-scooter program, also prohibiting the DOT from making certain roadway improvements necessary to make e-scooters travel safer. As a result, since April of 2021 and in the area where the e-scooters were launched, there were 1,319 reported crashes, causing injuries to 712 people, including 29 cyclists and 69 pedestrians. This is a high number of crashes and injuries in just a short time.
Dangers and Risks of E-Scooters
While electric scooters come with many benefits, they also have many risks that need to be realized and guarded against. Electric scooters can be very dangerous if not operated correctly. According to statistics from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), there have been an estimated
133,000 emergency room visits and at least 41 fatalities involving e-scooters across the country. These risks are not just from riding the e-scooter, but also from other motorists who may not be aware of these personal transportation devices or may not be use to seeing them on our city streets.
Some of the dangers and risks of e-scooters that could cause serious personal injuries or wrongful death include the following:
– Falling off due to inexperience
– Being hit by a car
– Pedestrian collisions or pedestrian knockdowns
– Crashes with bike riders
– Falls into potholes or debris in a road
– Collisions at corners where visibility is reduced
– Intersection accidents
– “Dooring” or when a car door opens in front of a passing e-scooter
– Product defects such as tire, brake, or steering malfunctions
– Joyriding or abuse in operating an e-scooter
– Product damage from other riders, poor maintenance, or abuse, and
– Other risks and injuries related to e-scooters.
Common Injuries from E-Scooter Accidents in NYC
Our New York City personal injury electric scooter crashes can result in serious personal injuries that are disabling, debilitating, and could even be fatal. These can happen in single-vehicle crashes, such as with a pothole, pedestrian, or falling off a defective scooter, or these could be caused in multiple vehicle crashes, such as being hit by a car, truck, bus or colliding with another cyclist.
Some of the most common personal injuries include the following:
– Brain injuries, such as TBIs, concussions, brain bleeds or other damages
– Spinal cord injuries, including paralysis, paraplegia, quadriplegia, or other nerve injuries
– Broken bones or fractures
– Torn muscles or ligaments, including in the shoulder, knee, wrist, hip, ankle, or anywhere else on the body
– Organ injuries/damage or lacerations and scarring
– Significant scarring or disfigurement
– Eye injuries causing blindness or loss of vision
– Amputation or loss of a limb
– Soft tissue injuries to the back or neck
– Herniated discs in the neck or back, including slipped disc, annular ruptures, or other injuries
– Shoulder injuries including torn rotator cuffs, SLAP tears, dislocations, separations, and other damage
– Knee injuries including a torn meniscus or a torn ACL, MCL, PCL, or LCL
– Wrongful death, and
– Other serious personal injuries that keep a victim out of work, impact their daily life, or otherwise cause pain and suffering.
Injured in a NYC E-Scooter Accident? Call Our New York City Electric Scooter Accident Lawyer for Help
If you or a loved one were injured in any type of accident in New York City, know that our knowledgeable and experienced personal injury team at Stern
Law Firm can help you and your family recover the adequate compensation that you need. We have a no-win, no fee guarantee and offer FREE consultation so you can learn what your rights are by dialing (718) 416-1500, (516) 294-2664 or by sending us a private message through our contact us box available here.
