Electric bikes and scooters have become an increasingly common sight throughout Santa Monica in recent years. For many, these vehicles offer convenient alternatives to cars.
Unfortunately, accidents involving electric bikes and scooters can happen, even when their riders are cautious. It’s possible you’ve been injured in such an accident because another party was negligent.
Review your case with a Santa Monica electric bikes and scooter accidents attorney at Randolph and Associates if so. We can help you pursue financial compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and other such losses and damages after an accident.
Electric bike accidents and scooter accidents often result from motorists’ negligence. A driver can negligently cause such an accident by:
However, there are also instances when other parties may be to blame for electric bike and scooter accidents. For instance, an accident could occur if the manufacturer of your electric bike or scooter overlooked a critical defect.
This highlights one of many reasons it’s wise to hire a Santa Monica electric bike and scooter accidents lawyer when seeking compensation. An attorney can investigate your accident to determine who is at fault.
Some accidents are the fault of one party. That said, there are instances when a victim’s own negligence may play a role in causing their accident or injuries.
For example, perhaps you’re injured on an electric bike while riding through an intersection when a speeding, intoxicated driver strikes you. Because the driver who caused your accident was operating their vehicle in excess of the posted speed limit while under the influence of alcohol, it’s easy to argue that the collision occurred because they were negligent.
However, perhaps an investigation yields evidence showing that you failed to properly check for oncoming traffic before entering the intersection. It may thus be argued that the accident wouldn’t have occurred had you not been careless yourself.
Perhaps you could have recovered up to $10,000 in compensation if the other driver was deemed 100% to blame for causing the accident. Because you didn’t thoroughly check for approaching vehicles when you entered the intersection, it’s determined that you’re 30% responsible for the collision and/or the severity of your injuries. If so, the most you could recover would be $7,000.
The above example describes a scenario in which California’s comparative negligence law may apply. Under this statute, the amount of compensation a victim may recover can be decreased by the percentage of blame assigned to them.
Be aware, some insurance companies use this law to minimize their financial losses when victims seek compensation. It’s possible an insurer will attempt to settle your claim for less than it’s worth by suggesting that you were injured to at least some degree as a result of your own negligence.
An insurer isn’t always accurately representing the facts of a case when they claim a victim is partially responsible for causing their accident. This highlights another reason to enlist the help of a Santa Monica personal injury lawyer when seeking compensation.
The insurance company may try to argue that you deserve less compensation than you’re seeking because you share some of the blame for your accident occurring. If the insurance company’s accusations are false, your lawyer can gather and present evidence demonstrating this.
Of course, sometimes victims genuinely do play a role in their own accidents. Avoid this by exercising caution and obeying all rules of the road when riding an electric bike or scooter. Although you can’t prevent others from being negligent, you can limit your chances of being involved in an accident by taking the necessary precautions at all times.
You’re quite vulnerable when riding an electric bike or scooter. When using such a vehicle, you don’t have the protections an enclosed vehicle would offer, such as airbags, seatbelts, or a steel frame which could otherwise create a barrier that absorbs some of the shocks of impact when a collision happens.
It’s likely you’ve sustained major injuries if you’ve been harmed in an accident while riding an electric bike or scooter. Your injuries probably require costly medical treatment. They can also prevent you from earning a paycheck until you’ve made a full recovery and are able to return to work. If your injuries are particularly severe, they could even result in lifelong struggles, such as limited mobility or impaired cognition.
You can pursue compensation for your medical bills and related losses if your accident resulted from negligence. Doing so involves filing a claim with the negligent party’s insurance. Filing a a lawsuit is also an option if the insurance company refuses to offer a fair settlement or the negligent party is uninsured.
Strongly consider hiring a lawyer before filing a claim. An insurance company’s typical response in these circumstances is to first attempt to justify denying a claim altogether when possible. If the insurer can’t deny your claim, it’s likely they’ll nevertheless attempt to convince you to settle for less than your claim is worth.
The experts at a Santa Monica electric bike and scooter accidents law firm can assist you by:
Most importantly, at Randolph and Associates, our Santa Monica electric bike and scooter accident attorneys are prepared to negotiate aggressively on your behalf if the insurance company doesn’t offer a fair settlement. Learn more by contacting us online or calling us at 310-395-7900 for a free consultation.
