Los Angeles scooter accident injuries

If you’ve been walking in downtown Los Angeles, you’ve more than likely seen someone zipping around on an electric scooter and thought to yourself that the rider was going to end up in the emergency room or worse.

A recent study conducted by researchers at UCLA documented 249 total visits to emergency rooms related to scooter accidents at both Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and UCLA Medical Center – Santa Monica between September 2017 and August 2018.

Common injuries from scooter accidents include head injuries, fractures, cuts, and bruises. The medical records showed that scooter riders are not only at risk of suffering significant injuries, but they pose a risk to pedestrians as well and are putting themselves in greater danger by violating the law.

Safety first

Data from the UCLA study showed that approximately 40% of the visits to the ER’s were related to head injuries and, of that 40%, only 4% were wearing helmets at the time of the accident. California law required the wearing of helmets by riders for a majority of the study period.

The study also showed that a “significant subset of injuries” happened to riders under the age of 18. The two biggest electric scooter companies, Lime and Bird, both have policies that bar minors from riding their scooters. In addition, the study found that a significant number of riders were in frequent violation of traffic laws.

Safety should be top priority for anyone riding an electric scooter. Some common sense safety measures could help to prevent a majority of injuries to scooter riders including the use of helmets, wrist guards, and pads. Riders should be aware of the rules that govern the operation of a motorized scooter in California pursuant to Vehicle Code 21225.

Your rights

Electric scooters can be found all over Southern California. When their riders aren’t careful or aren’t following the regulations for using electric scooters or traffic laws, in general, accidents, some serious, can occur. Riders can be held liable if they were responsible for causing the accident.

Researchers in the UCLA study also recorded scooter activity at two busy intersections and found that a significant number of riders were sharing a scooter with a passenger in direct violation of Vehicle Code 21225.

Another issue with scooters is connected to the lithium ion batteries on electric scooters. Lithium ion batteries have a long history when it comes to causing fires that can result in serious burns. This is usually the result of a manufacturing defect in the battery that can lead to an explosion or fire.

If you’ve been injured in an accident with a motorized scooter and have sustained injuries, you may have a personal injury claim. If you’ve been injured by a defective lithium battery while using a scooter, you may also have a personal injury claim.

Gregory Yates, Los Angeles attorney for personal injury cases, has handled many cases involving product defects as well as vehicular accidents.

Call our firm to schedule a consultation.