Bronx Scooter Accident Attorney
Electric scooter use has increased in popularity all across the country, as this environmentally friendly and efficient alternative to gas vehicles has become a commuter’s must-have. In fact, the younger generations are not the only ones using these scooters to get around. In crowded cities, including New York City, people of all ages have been optimizing scooters to commute to many destinations. Bronx residents and tourists alike frequently use scooters to commute to the borough’s multitude of parks, beaches, and restaurants.
Even though these scooters are changing how we view transportation, they are not without risks. Over the years, there has been an alarming number of reports indicating that these scooters have caused quite a few serious and deadly accidents, and sadly, these numbers continue to rise.
If you or a family member suffered harm in a Bronx scooter accident, you should not have to take on these devastating losses on your own, especially if your scooter accident was caused by another person’s negligence or reckless actions. At Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, our Bronx scooter accident lawyers are here for you, ready to take on your scooter accident claim and fight for compensation and justice on your behalf.
About Jacoby & Meyers, LLP
Founded in 1972, the law firm of Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, has become one of the largest and most innovative law firms in the country. However, the firm’s original goal remains the same: providing top-quality representation to every person that needs it.
Today, with offices in New York and New Jersey, our lawyers continue to provide our clients with the compassionate and straightforward legal representation they need and the services they require, such as free hospital and at-home visits, free secure access to all of their case files, and free answers to all of their questions. Plus, our firm does not charge a fee unless we successfully obtain a verdict or settlement on our client’s behalf.
Because of this dedication, drive, work ethic, and resources, we have won tens of thousands of cases and obtained millions of dollars in jury verdicts and settlement awards for our clients:
What Is an Electric Scooter?
Electric scooters, also referred to as e-scooters, are a motorized version of a kick scooter.
- These scooters weigh less than one hundred pounds.
- These scooters have handlebars, a floorboard, and a seating area where you can sit or stand.
- These scooters have an electric motor powered by human power or the electric motor.
However, one thing to keep in mind is that today’s electric scooters come in various engine sizes, meaning that their speeds can reach limits much greater than what is allowed on the roads. Devastating and fatal accidents can occur.
Common Scooter Accidents That Occur in the Bronx
As the electric scooter business continues to grow, so does the number of scooter accidents. According to studies done by the American Journal of Otolaryngology, the number of injuries sustained in scooter accidents has tripled every year, resulting in thousands of injuries nationwide.
Yet, even though these collisions can occur for a variety of reasons, some of the most common Bronx scooter accidents are often due to:
- Driving at excessive speeds
- Driving while intoxicated either by alcohol or drugs
- Driving while distracted, such as texting and driving or eating and driving
- Driving in poor weather conditions
- Failing to yield
- Failing to check blind spots
- Running through red lights or stop signs
- Road defects, including potholes
- Low visibility
- Night driving
- Defective scooters
- Automobiles not being aware of scooters on the road
Common Injuries Resulting From a Bronx Scooter Accident
When it comes to scooter accidents, about 32 percent of all scooter injuries involve a head injury. However, head trauma is not the only significant injury that can occur.
Other common types of injuries that result from a scooter collision include:
- Deep lacerations
- Concussions
- Fractured or broken bones
- Knee injuries
- Ankle and foot injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
- Nerve damage
- Neck injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Facial trauma
- Road rash
- Spinal cord injuries
- Back injuries
- Paralysis
- Death
Who Is At Fault in Bronx Electric Scooter Accidents?
It is often quite hard to establish liability for a Bronx electric scooter accident or to determine whether there was more than one party involved.
Even though there may be numerous parties at fault, however, the most common individuals that are often found responsible for a scooter accident include:
- Negligent motorists
- Reckless truck or bus operators
- Careless scooter designers or manufacturers
- Negligent pedestrians
- Construction companies who caused road defects
- Government employees or city workers who did not maintain the roads properly
Pinpointing precisely who was at fault for a scooter accident is often a tedious and complicated task. That is why if you were injured in a Bronx electric scooter accident, you need to reach out to the law firm of Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, as soon as possible. Our experienced scooter accident attorneys can not only promptly get to work investigating your accident to figure out what happened and who was at fault, but we can also make sure to pursue maximum damages on your behalf.
Electric Scooters and Their Safety Concerns
Unfortunately, there are numerous safety concerns related to electric scooters. Not only do most riders not have a clear set of instructions that warn of the potential dangers associated with these machines or how to ride them, but poor scooter design frequently causes devastating accidents
Top e-scooter manufacturers have faced numerous lawsuits because of defective designs that make their products incredibly dangerous.
For example:
- Lack of proper parts: Most of the electric scooters you see on the road are not created with high-quality parts or designed to withstand constant use. Typically, these scooters are made with cheap plastics that, when used too frequently, can result in operational issues and, consequently, deadly crashes.
- The center of gravity is high: Electric scooters typically require riders to stand to operate the scooter properly. However, when these individuals stand, it makes the center of gravity close to the ground. Unfortunately, because the wheel spacing on these machines is often not wide enough to provide the proper stability to manage this type of center of gravity, this setup has led to numerous fatal accidents.
- Weak headlights: In general, most electric scooters do not have proper lighting for operation on the roads at night. Yet, this does not stop users from riding them when it gets dark. Thus, this nighttime riding has resulted in scooter riders running into cars and other objects due to the lack of light.
- Wheel issues: Most electric scooters have small, solid wheels that are not filled with air. Manufacturers typically produce scooters with these wheels because they can reduce maintenance costs and create more scooters for less. However, these cheaper wheels are not great at absorbing shock or providing the scooter with proper traction, causing many electric scooter riders to lose control.
Actions to Take After a Bronx Electric Scooter Collision
The scene following a scooter collision is often overwhelming and stressful for everyone involved, yet the actions you take after such a horrific accident are not only critical to your safety and health but your legal rights as well. For these reasons, if you are ever involved in a Bronx scooter accident, you should:
Get Help
If you were in an e-scooter crash, you must contact 911 immediately. This is the quickest way to alert emergency medical services that you need help and get your scooter accident on record.
Additionally, when police officers arrive at the scene, they will investigate the crash and write down their findings in a police report. If you pursue an injury claim, this police report may prove extremely important to your case, providing you with crucial evidence regarding what happened and who was at fault for your scooter crash.
Collect Evidence
If the area is safe, you must collect as much evidence as you can from the scene. This evidence should include photos or videos of the vehicles involved in the accident, the damages to your scooter, your visible injuries, skid marks on the road, the weather conditions at the time of the incident, traffic signs near the scene of the crash, road defects, and any other images that can show what happened.
See a Doctor Immediately
Even if you do not believe that you require immediate medical treatment, you still need to see your doctor after the crash. Many times, symptoms of serious injuries, such as head and brain trauma, can take days or weeks to manifest. The longer you wait to get treatment, the more deadly these injuries can become, so it is imperative to get examined by a doctor as soon as possible.
Besides, this medical examination may also prove crucial for your case. Insurance companies are looking for any reason to deny your claim. By not getting immediate medical attention, the insurance company may argue that your injuries are not that serious or because of a subsequent event. However, when you get checked over by your physician immediately following the crash, your doctor can create a medical report that directly links your injuries to the accident.
Exchange Information With the Other Drivers
Make sure you exchange information with all the drivers involved in the crash. Get their names, addresses, contact information, insurance information, and driver’s license numbers.
Obtain Witness Contact Details
If there were people at the crash scene, who saw what happened, get their names and contact information as well. These witness statements can provide you with vital details regarding the scooter accident and help back your claims. If these witnesses are hesitant to offer you their information, do not pressure them. When you work with an experienced scooter accident lawyer, he or she can get this information for you.
Watch What You Say
When you discuss the incident with the other drivers or people at the scene, you need to watch what you say. You will want to avoid making any definitive statements about the accident, indicate that any of it was your fault, or apologize for anything that happened. The insurance company can use these statements against you to reduce the money that you ultimately receive.
Take Notes of What Happened in a Journal
After your accident, you should take notes in a journal of what happened. Over time, your memories of the scooter accident will fade. Fortunately, when you write down critical details, it can preserve that information. Make sure you jot down everything about the accident, including what happened, how you feel, the medical treatments you require, the pain and suffering you are living with, and how this accident changed your life and your family’s life.
While scooter popularity continues to spread across New York, hospitals such as the Jacobi Medical Center see first-hand the devastating injuries caused by this new mobility trend. Even though scooters may look innocent enough and appear to serve as a great way to get around crowded cities, scooter riders of all ages continue to report severe and sometimes fatal injuries.
If you suffered injuries in a Bronx scooter accident that another person’s negligent or reckless actions caused, you may pursue compensation for the full cost of your injuries. To better help you understand your legal remedies and the steps you need to take after a scooter accident, the law firm of Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, has prepared these answers to some of the questions that we hear most frequently from our clients. We hope with these answers, you get the information you need to pursue financial compensation with confidence.
1. Why are electric scooters so dangerous?
Electric scooters offer numerous benefits, including an environmentally-friendly mode of transportation, reduced road traffic, and even a faster way to get around congested areas. However, these scooters are not without their faults. This machine poses not only a danger to its users but also to pedestrians and other motorists.
Consider:
- Scooters do not provide riders with any real protection if they are involved in a crash. In fact, most scooter riders do not even wear a helmet when riding.
- Scooters travel at relatively slow speeds, making it hard to avoid a collision with a faster and larger automobile.
- Scooters are often difficult for other motorists and pedestrians to see, which may lead to a serious accident that results in severe injuries, usually on behalf of the scooter rider.
2. If I was injured in a Bronx Scooter accident, who can I file a lawsuit against?
If you were harmed in a Bronx scooter accident, you can pursue legal action against all those liable for your injuries.
Even though numerous parties may face responsibility for such an accident, these individuals are most frequently listed as defendants in Bronx scooter accident cases:
- Motorists: If you suffered injuries because of another motorist’s negligence, the driver may owe you compensation for your injuries. For instance, if the motorist was drunk driving or texting while driving and crashed into your scooter, that motorist may face liability for your damages.
- Defective scooters: If your electric scooter contained a defect, and this defect caused your collision, you may qualify to pursue a lawsuit against the scooter company or the manufacturer responsible for the defect and the injuries you suffered.
- Dangerous roadway conditions: If your scooter accident resulted from a hazardous roadway condition, such as a pothole, city officials or government employees responsible for maintaining these roadways may face liability for the accident.
- Pedestrian crashes: In most pedestrian scooter collisions, the scooter rider is usually the one at fault for the crash; however, in some instances, these accidents may result from the negligent actions of a pedestrian, such as those individuals who step into a bike lane right in front of an electric scooter.
Without a thorough investigation, it is quite challenging to figure out who was at fault for a scooter accident. Fortunately, when you work with Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, our experienced Bronx scooter accident attorneys can handle this investigation for you and determine who to name as a defendant in your claim.
3. What is the statute of limitations to file a Bronx scooter accident claim?
The statute of limitations is a law that dictates the maximum amount of time you have to file a lawsuit following an alleged offense. If you do not file within this allotted time, you will lose your right to pursue compensation for the injuries you have suffered.
In New York, the statute of limitations to file an injury claim following a scooter accident is three years from the accident date. However, these regulations also contain various exceptions that can shorten or lengthen the amount of time you have to file your case. Consequently, to make sure your rights remain protected and that you receive the money you deserve, the legal team at Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, advises that you speak with one of our scooter accident attorneys as soon as possible. Our lawyers can figure out how much time you have to file your case. Then we can correctly prepare and file all of your documents before time runs out.
4. Will insurance cover the injuries that I sustained in a Bronx scooter accident?
New York is considered a no-fault insurance state, which means that if individuals are injured in an automobile accident, they will generally get reimbursed by their own insurance company regardless of who is responsible for the accident. Typically, this reimbursement includes legitimate economic losses, including medical treatments and lost wages.
However, according to New York’s no-fault laws, most electric scooter riders are not covered by this no-fault insurance when they are in a scooter accident. Consequently, to get reimbursed for the harm they have suffered, these scooter riders need to file a claim against the party that caused their injury.
Luckily, you do not have to go after this money on your own. When you contact the law firm of Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, our skilled Bronx scooter accident attorneys can quickly get to work investigating what happened in your accident, determining your legal options, and going after maximum compensation on your behalf.
5. How do I show that another motorist was responsible for my Bronx scooter crash?
Before you can collect compensation for the injuries you have suffered in a scooter collision, you need to show that another party’s intentional or negligent actions were responsible for your accident and the harm you endured.
Generally, to prove that another party was negligent, you need to establish:
- The at-fault party owed you a duty of care: Every driver has a legal obligation to avoid causing harm to another individual. This means that these motorists have a duty to pay attention while driving, remain alert behind the wheel, and avoid reckless behavior, such as drinking and driving. If a motorist does not abide by these obligations, the motorist failed to uphold the duty of care.
- The at-fault party breached this duty: If a motorist breaches the duty of care, that motorist can be found negligent for any resulting accident. Usually, drivers are negligent if their actions fall outside of what is expected from a reasonable person, such as driving through red lights, driving at excessive speeds, or drunk driving.
- The breach resulted in an accident that caused the victim’s injuries and damages: Once victims establish that there was a duty of care and that the at-fault party breached this duty, they also need to show that their injuries were a direct and proximate cause of the at-fault individual’s actions and that they suffered significant damages and losses.
It often proves difficult to establish an at-fault party’s liability for a scooter accident. However, when you retain the legal team of Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, our experienced scooter accident lawyers can handle this process for you by carefully investigating your scooter crash and gathering the critical evidence needed to prove fault and damages.
6. If I was harmed in a Bronx scooter crash, what types of compensation can I pursue?
If you were injured in a Bronx scooter collision due to the negligent or intentional actions of another driver or a defective scooter, you may seek specific types of compensation. In New York, this compensation often includes:
Economic damages: These damages include monetary losses that you suffered due to the accident.
For instance:
- Past, present, and future medical bills, including doctor visits, prescription medications, surgeries, and hospital stay
- Lost wages
- Lost earning capacity
- At-home nursing care
- Replacement services such as cleaning services or child care services
- Rehabilitation therapy such as physical and occupational therapy
- Personal property damages, including repairs to your scooter after the accident
- Other out-of-pocket expenses
Non-economic damages: These damages usually involve subjective losses that are not easy to quantify.
Non-economic damages include:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment and quality of life
- Loss of companionship
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of a limb
- Disability
- Loss of reputation
- Scarring and disfigurement
Punitive damages: Economic and non-economic damages compensate victims for their losses following an accident. In comparison, punitive damages punish a wrongful party for particularly egregious actions and deter similar actions in the future. Consequently, courts only award punitive damages in exceptional cases. In fact, in New York, the court will only award these punitive damages when the victim shows that the wrongful party acted with a complete disregard for the health and safety of others.
7. Should I speak with the at-fault insurance company following my Bronx scooter accident?
Many people often assume that following an accident, the insurance company will want to work with them and help them get the money they need, especially if they were not at fault for the crash. Unfortunately, this is not how insurance companies work. Insurance companies are businesses, and like other businesses, they want to make money.
When these insurance companies deny your claim or pay you out compensation that does not reflect the true value of your case, they end up making a profit. For these reasons, insurance adjusters will try to do anything they can to get you to admit fault for the accident so that they can reduce the cost of your claim.
Fortunately, you do not have to fight against these deceitful insurance company practices on your own. When you retain Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, our Bronx scooter accident attorneys can take over these discussions for you and ensure that you do not say anything that may hurt your claim.
8. Why do I need to contact an experienced Bronx scooter accident attorney following my scooter collision?
Bronx Scooter Accident Lawyer, Andrew Finkelstein
If you or a loved one has suffered harm in a scooter accident, no amount of money will entirely take away the pain and suffering that you’ve had to endure because of this devastating crash. However, obtaining sufficient compensation for your losses and damages can put you on the right path to regaining your health and rebuilding your life. That is why the experienced Bronx scooter accident lawyers at Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, want to take on this fight for you and pursue justice and compensation on your behalf.
Once you retain our law firm, our scooter accident attorneys can:
- Go over your case in detail, provide you with the legal advice you need, and determine your legal options.
- Investigate your case thoroughly and build the strongest claim on your behalf by securing crucial evidence needed to prove what happened and who was at fault.
- Bring in the experts, such as accident reconstructionists, engineers, doctors, and economists, to substantiate your claims.
- Handle all the discussions and negotiations with the other side.
- Ensure that all legal documents and motions are filed accurately and before the statute of limitations expires.
- Take your case to trial, if necessary, and work tirelessly to recover maximum compensation in your case.
Do not wait any longer to get the legal help you need if a scooter accident has disrupted your life or the life of a family member. Instead, contact Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, today for your free case evaluation. Let us show you what our legal team can do to help you recover from your injuries and pursue justice and compensation. When you retain Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, we take over the legal negotiations and any necessary litigation on your behalf, so you can focus on your recovery. Let us handle the legal stress of your claim so that you don’t have to worry about your financial recovery on top of your additional stress. We are here to help!
Contact an Experienced Bronx Scooter Accident Attorney Right Away
Following your scooter accident, you must reach out to an experienced Bronx scooter accident attorney as soon as possible. Scooter accident claims are quite complicated and tedious to take on. However, an experienced scooter accident attorney can handle everything for you, including investigating the incident, obtaining vital evidence to show liability and damages, and fighting hard to recover maximum compensation on your behalf. Reach out to the award-winning legal team at Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, today, start a live chat with one of our representatives, or call our office at (718) 294-0813 for a free case evaluation.