Scooter Accident Injury Resources: Get The Best Help

With the rise in popularity of motorized scooters for personal transportation in Florida has come an increase in scooter accident injuries. While we all must share the roads, many scooter operators and other motor vehicle drivers are often unsure of what the rules of the road are in regards to motorized scooters. Scooters typically do not move as fast as cars or motorcycles and it may be confusing to know if scooter drivers should ride in the car lanes or in bike lanes. This confusion can often lead to people making mistakes and causing accidents which lead to injuries.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a scooter accident in Florida, you may not know what you should do next. Should you seek medical attention, even if you do not think your injuries are severe? What legal recourse do you have if you were not responsible for the accident? How is fault determined after a scooter accident under Florida law?

Seek medical attention.
Call #1-888-DOCS4PI (888-362-7474).

Seek Medical Attention Immediately

If you have suffered a personal injury in any type of accident, you should never hesitate to seek medical attention. The health and safety of yourself or a loved one should always be the top priority. Some scooter accident injuries may not be noticeable at first due to the shock and adrenaline coursing through your body after the crash. It may take days or even weeks for you to realize the full scope of your injuries without a proper medical evaluation. Seeking immediate medical attention can help you identify and document any injuries you may have suffered in a collision right away. This allows you to get treatment for your injuries before these injuries can worsen, making recovery harder.

Another important reason for seeking immediate medical attention after a scooter accident injury is to help support any possible personal injury claim in the future. Insurance companies are notorious for finding ways to deny people’s injury claims in order to avoid paying out a settlement. Injury victims who wait too long to get medical documentation of their injuries will usually find this out the hard way. When you wait to seek medical treatment, insurance companies will argue that you either were not seriously injured in the accident, otherwise, you would have visited a doctor sooner, or you were injured in a different way after the accident and are simply looking to get a payout.

When you have been injured in a scooter accident in Florida call #1-888-DOCS4PI to schedule a medical evaluation for your injuries. We are the best personal injury resource in Florida. Our doctors know how to treat motor scooter accident injuries and exactly how to document your injuries in order to strengthen a personal injury claim. Our network of amazing medical professionals also works closely alongside some of the best personal injury attorneys in the state. We can help victims get the legal assistance they may need to defend their rights after an accident and secure compensation for their injuries and suffering.

Scooter Risks and Injuries

Several safety features of scooters, such as brakes and turn signals, make them suitable to be ridden on public roads. Nevertheless, scooters are smaller and are less visible than cars. When turning or at intersections, most motorists are not consciously looking for scooters.
These facts combined with increased traffic during heavy traffic times result in more scooter accidents. Here are the risks involving scooters:

• Visibility: Motorists are less likely to see e-scooters because they are small and less noticeable due to parked cars or other obstacles on the road. Moreover, most motorists do not consciously check for scooters at intersections or when turning.

• Lack of Protection: Scooter riders are not protected from traffic by any barriers, and there are no safety devices such as airbags and seat belts, as they are not enclosed in a car. Even though most laws require that scooter riders wear helmets, many refuse to do so.

• Lack of Stability: Often when riders suddenly swerve or apply the emergency brakes, scooters lock up or become unstable.

• Dangerous Roadways: It is possible for motorized scooters to lose control due to roadway defects such as potholes, gravel, and debris, causing them to fall or lose balance. When scooter riders try to swerve around defects or debris on the road, they often cause accidents.

• Reckless Behavior: Scooter riders sometimes operate these vehicles in a dangerous manner: without helmets, speeding, performing reckless stunts, and operating with multiple passengers.

• Driving Under the Influence: Sadly, many scooter riders operate their vehicles while drunk or high. Driving under the influence on a scooter is illegal and dangerous, just like any operating car under the influence.

• Lack of Experience: The majority of scooter riders are inexperienced and unable to operate a vehicle they've never ridden before. This results in a number of accidents.

Types of Injuries

Traumatic Brain Injuries

When the brain is injured by a strong blow to the head, it is called a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Electric scooter accidents account for 40% of hospital visits resulting from concussions. It can happen when unhelmeted scooter riders fall or knock pedestrians to the ground, and their heads hit the pavement. The risk of brain injury and even death is very high for those affected. An even mild concussion can severely damage the brain. The symptoms of traumatic brain injury, however, may not manifest right away. The most common effects of traumatic brain injury include neck pain, nausea, ringing in the ears, fatigue, and dizziness. In addition to headaches, vomiting, seizures, slurred speech, and difficulty waking up after going to sleep, people with severe brain injuries may also experience persistent nausea.

Spinal Cord Injuries

A scooter rider or pedestrian hit by a vehicle may sustain serious spinal cord injuries, such as paralysis below the injury site and possibly quadriplegia or paraplegia. There are bundles of nerves that connect the body to the brain in the spinal column. Spinal cord injuries interrupt these signals. The injuries may result in vertebral fractures or dislocations, or damage to nerves and tissues. An injury to the spine might require surgery, prescription medications, braces, or traction to stabilize it. Some people suffer significant chronic neck or back pain after spinal cord injuries requiring lengthy treatment and rehabilitation.

Bone Fractures

Broken bones or fractures are some of the most common types of injuries suffered by electric scooter victims. Fractures can occur from falls, trauma, or a direct blow to a bone. After the broken bone heals, patients undergo physical therapy to regain function, mobility, and strength. These treatments are often expensive, and not always fully covered by health insurance plans. As a result, patients end up paying out of pocket for these costs. It is possible for victims of broken bones to lose income if they have to take an extended period of time off from work. The consequences of broken bones may include disfigurement or permanent injuries. Fractures can also cause function loss in the injured area.

What to Do if You're in a Scooter Accident in Florida

In the event of a scooter accident, no matter if you are the scooter rider, the scooter passenger, the driver, or the pedestrian, we recommend you follow these steps:

1. Get medical attention as soon as possible, as some injuries may have delayed symptoms. If you delay treatment, you could face severe and potentially fatal complications. Make sure you keep all appointments with your doctor.
2. Call 911 to report the accident. Answer every question honestly, but don't speculate or guess about anything you do not know.
3. Exchange information. Information such as names, contact information, license plates (if applicable), as well as information regarding insurance should be exchanged with the other parties involved in the accident.
4. Collect evidence at the scene. Photograph the crash scene, photograph the vehicles involved, and request a copy of the accident report number from the investigating officer.
5. At every stage of recovery, keep documentation. Maintain copies of your medical bills, get documentation of the time you have missed from work, keep a journal of how the injury affects your life, and keep copies of all documents related to the accident.
6. Hire an attorney. If you suffer accident-related losses, you should hire an attorney to assist you. Your lawyer will handle every step of your claim while you focus on recovering. A lawyer can help preserve your claim and any evidence you may need in order to win compensation for your injuries.

How to Avoid a Scooter Accident

To prevent a scooter accident, take the necessary precautions. Some steps to help prevent accidents include:

• Check your scooter: Make sure your scooter functions properly. Before leaving the area, it would be wise to perform a short test run nearby.
• Ride on the street: Take the street instead of the sidewalk to protect yourself and other pedestrians.
• Avoid sharing a scooter: There's a higher chance of getting into an accident when sharing a scooter.
• Wear a helmet: It is always a good idea to wear a helmet while operating a scooter, even if it's not the law (yet) in your state. A helmet saves lives.

Local Florida Scooter Accident

There have been many scooter accidents all over Florida. Take a look at the story below:

Police in Tampa, Florida, identified the rider of an e-scooter struck by the semi-truck.

A man pulled out of a side street without stopping when Moneik Beal was sitting at a traffic light on South 20th Street. At that same moment, a semi-trailer truck that was just leaving the Marathon Petroleum terminal hit the man, hurling him through the air. Upon seeing the scooter driver, Beal, 28, recalls that he "just zoomed right on out.". The timing was as if he hadn't seen the truck, saw it, and deliberately wanted to be hit, or the scooter malfunctioned. According to spokesman Steve Hegarty, police were still investigating the crash on Friday. There were no charges filed. John Michael Edgerton was not wearing a helmet and his condition was listed at Tampa General Hospital as critical. Two days earlier, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation lifting the ban on e-scooters. It allows scooters to be used on streets as well as in bike lanes.

As common as scooter accidents are, we hope you are never involved in one. However, if you do become injured from a scooter accident please contact us at #1-888-DOCS4PI. We match injured accident victims with the best medical professional from our network. If you need to file a claim we can also help match you with an attorney.