Electric Scooter Injury Attorney in Topeka

Electric Scooter Rental Services Are Taking Off in Topeka

Companies like Bird and LimeBike have spread from the West Coast into the Heartland, and now they’re popping up in cities all across Missouri, including Kansas City, Topeka, and Columbia. Since getting their start in early 2017, these electric scooter rental companies have experienced exponential growth and people across the country are buying in.

Their success is due in no small part to the ease with which average city-goers may find nearby scooters, unlock them, and pay by the minute to ride, which can all be done using an app. Rides also cost $1 to start and 15 cents for every minute thereafter, making them attractively affordable for people seeking to make a quick trip without paying for a cab.

However, their skyrocketing popularity hasn’t come without its fair share of challenges. Companies like Bird and LimeBike are experiencing push-back in some areas of the country, including Topeka and Kansas City, because of the risks they pose to users, as well as pedestrians and drivers in urban areas.

Common Injuries & Accidents Associated with E-Scooters

Most electric rental scooters can go up to 15 miles per hour. That may not sound like much, but being knocked off a scooter or hitting another driver, person, or object at that speed can leave you with broken bones, head trauma, and other painful injuries.

When users are finished using these rental scooters, they leave them on the sidewalk, where another user is expected to find them. As a result, some users may take a ride on a scooter that has not been maintained or assessed in quite some time, which can lead to crashes and dangerous malfunctions.

Along with a lack of appropriate maintenance, using an electric rental scooter could lead to accident and injury for a number of other reasons, including:

• Uneven ground, debris in the road or on the sidewalk, and other unmarked inconsistencies in terrain
• Swerving or quickly turning in order to avoid hitting another person or motor vehicle
• Running into cars, car doors, bicycles, etc.
• Running into other scooter riders
• Running into pedestrians, runners, etc.
• Jerky, wobbly, or locked-up wheels
• Broken braking systems, damaged wires, etc.
• Locked-up steering mechanisms

Riders aren’t the only ones being hurt by electric rental scooters. Pedestrians, bicyclists, and other motorists can be hit by people using electric scooters and may suffer serious and costly injuries as a result. If this happens to you, there are a few things you must do in order to preserve your ability to recover the compensation you deserve:

• Talk to the person who hit you and get their contact information.
• If it is not obvious, talk to the scooter rider who hit you and find out the cause of the accident. (Be sure to do so without apologizing or implying fault.)
• Seek out potential witnesses and obtain their contact information as well.
• Get medical attention and obtain official documentation of any injuries.
• Keep a record of all costs, losses, and damages associated with your scooter accident.
• Speak with a personal injury lawyer right away.

Our Topeka Personal Injury Attorneys Can Help You in the Aftermath of Your Rental Scooter Accident

At DiPasquale Moore, we do everything we can to make sure you are treated fairly when seeking compensation for your injuries and damages—and we aren’t afraid to go up against big companies like Bird or LimeBike.

When you bring your case to us, we may be able to help you obtain the money you need to afford expensive injury-related costs, such as:

• Surgeries
• Rehabilitation
• Medical treatments
• Job-related retraining
• Visits with doctors and specialists
• Hospital and emergency medical bills

If you have been harmed while using Bird, LimeBike, or any other rental electric scooter service in Topeka, the best thing you can do is connect with a personal injury attorney. After you have received medical attention, connect with a member of our team today and schedule your free, confidential consultation with a member of our legal team.

Call (888) 743-1030 today to get started.