Trampolines, hoover boards and four wheelers are all examples of enjoyable inventions that are present in the U.S. Unfortunately, the fun comes to an end when injuries occur, and injuries happen a lot. It’s estimated that trampoline accidents lead to 90,000 emergency room visits each year. Recent news suggests an increase in scooter usage may follow the trend.
Electric-scooter accidents on the rise
Major cities are seeing an increase in scooters. Electric scooters have become a popular form of transportation. However, despite the convenience, severe injuries are coming in fast.
Doctors and personal injury lawyers alike are concerned about the growing number of injuries. It’s reported that a California fire department saw as many as 34 accidents involving scooters over the summer. Additionally, a San Francisco doctor claimed he sees almost 10 severe injuries per week.
Insurance policies for scooters are uncommon
It’s rare for insurance policies to specifically cover scooters. Some insurance companies do cover related accidents if the individual has a motorcycle insurance policy. Such policies address bodily injury and property damage a person may cause when using the scooter.
However, the policy only protects the person or property that the rider damaged. The rider would, therefore, be personally responsible for their own hospital bills.
For these reasons, and due to vehicles’ user agreements, injured riders cannot file lawsuits against scooter companies.
Louisiana does require motorcycle, moped and scooter owners buy liability insurance. In fact, nearly all states do. On the other hand, scooters do not meet required safety-equipment standards in the state and are not allowed on public roads.