A ridesharing scooter can be unlocked and used by anyone with a smartphone and a couple bucks in their bank account. People pick up the scooter where they find it, and leave it wherever they want. Drivers are not used to having to share the road with scooter riders, putting the rider at unfair risk. In traffic-heavy areas like LA, the likelihood of being hit by a car is high.
Law firms like ours are already hearing cases and complaints from people all around California who were hurt while riding an electric rideshare scooter. Indeed, as Attorney Saghian also remarked in his interview, our law firm is getting up to five calls a week for accidents and injuries related to ridesharing scooters ever since we first talked about this issue in April 2018. Most of the calls come from riders hit by reckless motorists who are not used to sharing the road with the small scooters.
Bird has seemingly acknowledged the dangers of its own vehicles, too. After a rider crashed into an automobile, the company released a statement that advised riders to wear helmets, possess a valid driver’s license, and be at least 18 before using their scooters. It is worth noting that California law already required all of these “requests” to be met before riding such a motorized scooter.
If you or a loved one get hurt while riding an electric scooter, please do not hesitate to call us at (310) 504-1852 to discuss your legal options. During a free consultation, we may be able to determine if you have valid grounds to file a claim against a driver if you are struck by a car.