24 X 7    CALL : 1-888-342-4177

According to the law in California, electric scooters are not to be driven on the sidewalk. That regulation helps to explain the reason that there currently a large number of scooter accidents.

Who might be held responsible for such an incident?

It could be a negligent motorist, one that felt annoyed by the scooter’s presence on the road. Sometimes, too, motorists say that they did not see the scooter and rider, until it was too late to prevent an accident.

The municipality in which the accident took place could be held responsible, if there had been a hazard on the road. If the municipality had delayed filling potholes that were known to exist, then that fact could be used as evidence of negligence. If a construction crew, one working on the roadway had failed to clean up properly, and had left some debris, then that debris might be viewed as a hazard.

If one of the scooter’s parts failed to function properly, then the company that furnished the scooters could be held responsible for the accident. Still, an injured rider should speak with a lawyer, before pursuing that possibility.

Rules for riders:

• If you are under 18 years of age, you must wear a helmet.
• Anyone riding an electric scooter must have a driver’s license.
• No more than 1 rider per scooter.
• Rider must have at least one hand on the handlebars at all times.
• Rider cannot hold onto another vehicle, while traveling down the street.

Actions rider should take, after involvement in an accident:

• Call 911 or the police.
• Get the names and contact numbers for the other involved parties. If hit by a motorist, get the license plate number, the license number, and the information on the motorist’s insurance.
• Get the names and contact information for any witnesses.
• Take pictures of the damage and of your injuries. Note the location and the time when the accident took place.

Do not hesitate to seek medical attention. If you develop symptoms later, you need to have some proof that you underwent a medical examination on the day of the accident. In the absence of such proof, you will not have a strong personal injury case.

Contact an injury lawyer in Colton and Arcadia. Provide the lawyer with the information that you have obtained from the others at the accident site. Personal injury lawyers know how to check for someone’s failure to disclose accurate information.

For instance, it could be that a motorist handed you a business card. Maybe you accepted that card without checking to see if the name on that small document was the same as the name on the driver’s license. Some motorists have been known to use that trick in the past.