Your Complete Guide to Scooter and Bike Share Accidents

Lakewood, Colorado Personal Injury Lawyer Serving Denver, Boulder, and Nearby Areas

Posted: May 21, 2021

Woman riding e-scooter in DenverYou can spend the entire summer exploring downtown without ever getting behind the wheel of a car. Denver boasts a robust bike and scooter share program that makes it easy to travel around the city. But for all the benefits of these so-called micro-mobility vehicles, there are also some significant drawbacks.

Unfortunately, e-scooters and bicycles offer little in the way of protection to their riders, who often suffer serious injuries when involved in an accident. To make matters worse, most of these riders don’t understand who’s liable in a crash — or know anything about their legal rights. We explain these issues in greater detail below.

Top Hazards for E-Scooter Riders and Cyclists

Unlike passenger vehicles, scooters and bikes don’t feature any built-in safety equipment. And because there’s nothing between riders and the pavement, it’s common for accidents to result in head trauma, bone fractures, and other devastating injuries.

Poorly maintained roads and sidewalks are one of many threats to innocent riders. A few examples of bad conditions that can easily cause a crash include:

  • Potholes
  • Pavement cracks
  • Faded road markings
  • Road debris
  • Missing traffic signs

Negligent drivers are also a common hazard to those on scooters and bikes. Far too many innocent riders are injured in motor vehicle crashes caused by drunk, reckless, or inattentive drivers.

Who’s Liable in a Scooter or Bike Accident?

Liability in accidents involved a rented e-scooter or bicycle is relatively straightforward. As with other personal injury claims, determining who is at fault in these cases comes down to the concept of negligence. If another person acted without reasonable care and caused you to get hurt, you may be able to recover compensation.

If your accident occurred due to poor road conditions, you may be able to sue the agency or company responsible for maintaining the road. Meanwhile, if your accident was caused by the driver of a motor vehicle, you may be able to collect money from their insurance company through a settlement or lawsuit.

Did you know? Denver City Council recently moved ahead with licensing agreements that will allow Lyft and Lime to deploy 1,500 electric scooters each.

Suing the scooter or bike rental company can be difficult. You likely signed a liability waiver that will protect the company in the case of an accident caused by defective equipment or a mechanical failure. However, you may have a claim against the manufacturer through a product liability lawsuit.

Schedule a Free E-Scooter or Rental Bike Case Review

The Frickey Law Firm wants to make sure you get justice and compensation after an accident. Call us at 303-237-7373 for a free initial case evaluation. We proudly serve Lakewood, Denver, Boulder, and the surrounding areas of Colorado.