As we see more electric rental scooters zipping around Corpus Christi, there also are some scary headlines about the serious accidents that happen with these motorized vehicles. A newly published study states a growing number of people are sent to the hospital, because of injuries from electric scooters. The Journal of the American Medical Association conducted the study, and analyzed injuries caused by electric scooters. It’s the first study of its kind. In this study of a case series, 249 patients presented to the emergency department with injuries associated with electric scooter use during a 1-year period, with 10.8% of patients younger than 18 years and only 4.4% of riders documented to be wearing a helmet. The most common injuries were fractures (31.7%), head injuries (40.2%), and soft-tissue injuries (27.7%).
Meanwhile, around the nation, ER doctors have pointed out an increase in the number of serious accidents that accompany the rise in use of motorized scooters. So, as more people stop renting bikes to get around and opt for electric scooters, how worried should people be in Corpus Christi?
As of September 2018, there had only been one fatal death, in Texas, associated with electric scooters in Dallas. Meanwhile, there were 42 bicycle accidents and 5,308 car accidents in the same period. However, it should be remembered that not everyone who gets in an electric scooter accident is going to go to the ER or call 911.
Types of Electric Scooter Accidents
In some of these accidents, the scooter operator is inexperienced and simply loses control and crashes. In this type of accident, there generally is no possibility of a personal injury claim as the operator was at fault. In some circumstances, it is possible that a product liability lawsuit could be a factor if it can be shown that the manufacturer or company that rented the scooter did not provide sufficient warnings and/or instructions about how to use the scooter safely.
Other accidents with electric scooters may involve cars. If a car driver does not yield to you in a crosswalk when you are riding a scooter, you could be entitled to serious compensation for your injuries. In most of these types of crashes, the scooter rider has serious injuries, such as broken bones, head trauma, internal injuries and major cuts and scrapes. In this situation, you could be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, pain and suffering, and lost wages.
Contact a Corpus Christi Personal Injury Lawyer Today
If you have been injured in an electric scooter crash, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Please contact Corpus Christi personal injury lawyers at the Raub Law Firm,P.C. for a free legal consultation to determine whether you have a solid case. The consultation is at no charge, so you have nothing to lose.