Electric Scooters Sending More People to Emergency Rooms

A CNET report states that electric scooter riders are filling up the nation’s emergency rooms and that accident rates could be as high as 1,000 per month. Starting in March, a handful of tech companies dropped thousands of electric scooters across nearly 100 U.S. cities. During this time, the number of injuries has surged. Two people have been killed in electric scooter accidents. Trauma surgeons are reporting daily occurrences in hospitals from San Diego and Los Angeles to Denver and Austin. Some of these injuries have been life threatening and others have left people permanently disabled.

Bird and Lime have more scooters in more cities than their rivals do. Lime said it’s given more than 20 million rides around the world, and Bird’s latest numbers show it’s given more than 10 million. The scooters cost $1 to rent plus 15 cents for every minute of riding time.

Uptick in Accidents and Injuries

Doctors are beginning to refer to e-scooters as “disruptive technology” because they are “disrupting forearms, elbows and heads.” There are a number of reasons why these scooter accidents occur. Sometimes, the rider fails to retain control of the scooter and runs into a stationary object such as a wall. Sometimes, a car strikes and rider and sometimes, the scooter is the problem. There are many reports where a scooter’s throttle gets stuck and brakes fail.

Rental scooters are becoming more and more visible in U.S. cities, but they are still so new that federal and local officials have not yet started tracking accidents. A quick sweep of local news stories by CNET brought up at least 50 incidents in the last six months. For example, in San Antonio, a tourist accidentally turned into oncoming traffic and was struck head on by a pickup truck.

Accidents and Injuries Nationwide

In Oklahoma City a man traveling a full speed clipped a drainpipe and was thrown over the handlebars. He broke both of his arms. Injuries listed in electric scooter crashes range from broken ribs, collarbones, scapulas, ankles and femurs to collapsed lungs, ruptured spleens and head fractures. CNET spoke to trauma centers in Denver, San Diego, San Francisco and Austin, and all reported a significant increase in injuries from scooter accidents.

The trauma center at Zuckerberg Medical Center in San Francisco is logging about 10 injuries a well from e-scooters that range from extensive bruising to severe head trauma. Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego has seen 37 severe traumas since April. Many of these individuals injured in electric scooter accidents suffered severe head injuries and required a long course of rehab, officials said. Some even need lifelong care in a nursing home.

Seeking Compensation for Your Losses

If you or a loved one has been injured in an electric scooter accident, you may be eligible to recover compensation for your losses including medical expenses, lost income, hospitalization, rehabilitation and pain and suffering. An experienced California personal injury lawyer will be able to secure maximum compensation for your injuries and losses while holding the at-fault parties accountable.