(Newswire.net — September 25, 2020) — Chicago streets seem to have been overrun by electric scooters due to the most recent pilot program introducing new regulations about allowing electric scooters as a rideshare alternative.
However, while this alternative may seem convenient and effective, it may also lead to an increased risk of auto and pedestrian accidents. Electric scooters may increase the risk of accidents for drivers, pedestrians and riders alike.
If we look at the most recently published news report, the first six days of the pilot program saw at least ten people being sent to the ER. With an increasing number of people using electric scooters, there may be more of these dangerous accidents.
Factors Contributing to the Accidents
The report states that several driving factors are contributing to the increased number of accidents. The most significant cause of accidents is riders who fail to respect traffic rules. They ride either in the middle of the street, on the wrong side of the road, on sidewalks or in the wrong lane.
Because of these irregularities, scooters threaten drivers, other riders and pedestrians alike. It is even a bigger problem that most electric scooter riders are people prone to riding intoxicated. They pose a threat to others and themselves.
Even though Chicago DUI laws apply to these riders, many of them are entirely indifferent or unaware of the fact that people who are intoxicated by alcohol or drugs over the legal limit are prohibited from operating electric scooters in public.
Responsibility in Electric Scooter Accidents
If an accident that is criminally or negligently caused by a scooter user results in death or injuries, recovering damages from the party that caused the accident can turn out to be a bigger challenge than other Chicago car accidents.
It is mostly because the majority of rideshare scooter companies do everything in their power to avoid any liability. That is why many manufacturers require users to release them of liability of any accident caused by the user’s negligence.
On the other hand, many users do not have proper and valid liability insurance to cover their actions while using an electric scooter. A negligent user can be held personally responsible through a Chicago personal injury lawsuit if their actions injure others.
Even so, it is still quite difficult to collect a jury award or settlement from an individual user. In some situations, the rideshare scooter company or an insurance company may be held responsible for deaths or injuries caused by scooter riders.
If the accident directly resulted from an equipment malfunction, the scooter company is held accountable for damages due to gross negligence in maintaining their vehicles. If an auto driver gets injured in such an accident, they may be eligible for recovering damages from their insurance company through the uninsured motorist protection policy.
Homeowners may also be eligible for coverage if they suffered injuries on private property or a sidewalk through the homeowner’s insurance. If a scooter rider suffers an injury in an accident caused by another driver, they may be eligible for compensation.
In such cases, it is the driver’s liability insurance coverage that provides proper compensation. That is why all new electric scooter riders need to understand the importance of self-discipline and why abiding by the traffic rules is paramount for their and everyone else’s safety.
What to Do If You Have Been Injured in a Scooter Accident in Chicago
If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident caused by a car driver or electronic scooter rider, you might be eligible for a claim for money damages to compensate you for your loss. With that in mind, talking to a professional personal injury attorney is the best way to get a head start on any legal actions.
“Although crashes involving pedestrians, bicyclists, scooters, and motorcyclists are less common than car accidents in Chicago (accounting for an average of 1.5 percent of the total crashes in Illinois), these accidents are more likely to cause serious injury or death. Similarly, while crashes involving tractor-trailers account for 3.6 percent of overall crashes, they make up 9.1 percent of fatal accidents, according to 2012 statistics from the Illinois DOT.” – says Chicago personal injury attorney, Paul Greenberg, of Briskman Briskman & Greenberg.
If you have been injured in an accident caused by a negligent electric scooter rider in Chicago, talk to a personal injury attorney and discuss all viable options. These are objective professionals with exceptional negotiation skills that can help you get the compensation and medical attention you need.
More importantly, they will present you with the options and help you choose the best one that works according to your current situation and help you with litigation.