The rise in popularity of electric scooters has also resulted in a rise in the number of e-scooter accidents in St. Louis, MO. While electric scooters are a convenient way to commute around the city, they can be dangerous for riders and others on the roads and sidewalks.
If you’ve been hurt in an accident, a St. Louis electric scooter accident lawyer may be a helpful resource. Schultz & Myers Personal Injury Lawyers is the law firm for the job. Our lawyers have over 100 years of combined experience handling accident cases and helping our clients recover compensation.
There’s no harm in asking for professional advice when you need it. Call our office at (314) 444-4444 to set up a free consultation and learn more about your legal options after an e-scooter accident in St. Louis, Missouri.
How Can Schultz & Myers Personal Injury Lawyers Help Me Recover Compensation After an Electric Scooter Accident in St. Louis?
Schultz & Myers Personal Injury Lawyers can help you assert your legal right to compensation. Since 2010, we have recovered over $100 million for our clients.
As a result, we are recognized locally and nationally as:
- National Trial Lawyers “Top 100 Lawyers”
- Members of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- Best Lawyers in America
- St. Louis Magazine’s “Best Lawyers in St. Louis”
- “Super Lawyers” by Super Lawyers Magazine
When you hire us to handle your e-scooter accident case, we will provide you with honest legal advice. Our lawyers will file and negotiate insurance claims on your behalf and attempt to get the defendant to settle out of court. If we can’t agree on fair compensation, we aren’t afraid to file a personal injury lawsuit and battle it out in court.
This will include preparing for trial by investigating the case, collecting evidence, and requesting records. In some cases, we also consult expert witnesses who can strengthen your argument. Ultimately, our goal is to get you what you need to pay for medical bills, lost wages, and other losses associated with the crash.
Call our St. Louis law office to hear more about what we can do for you.
Electric Scooter Laws in St. Louis, MO
Like many other major cities across the nation, electric scooters are legal in St. Louis. This includes owning your own private scooter or renting one through a scooter-rental app like Lime or Bird.
However, lawmakers are grappling with how to allow residents to ride electric scooters while also maintaining safety on the roads. As a result, St. Louis has implemented rules that govern how and where you can ride a scooter.
Electric scooter operators must:
- Drive the scooter on the road instead of a sidewalk.
- Ride the scooter as close to the right-hand curb as possible. The exception is when passing another vehicle, preparing to turn left, or avoiding a hazard on the road.
- Wear a helmet and be over the age of 16.
- Drive the scooter under 15 miles per hour.
- Operate the scooter without any passengers.
If an electric-scooter operator violates these laws, they may receive a $500 fine and/or 90 days in jail.
What Are the Dangers of Electric Scooters?
Electric scooters are convenient but can be dangerous. Unlike cars, scooters are only stabilized by two wheels. These wheels are smaller and usually less shock-absorbent than those on bikes or motorcycles.
Most people who ride an electric scooter have little to no experience and certainly no formal training. There are no formal licensing requirements. This means that operators are less likely to know safety rules or have the experience to avoid an accident.
There have been a growing number of studies on electric scooter accidents. One found that from 2014 to 2018, hospital admissions in electric scooter-related accidents jumped 222% across the nation. Another study concluded that 40,000 injuries resulted from e-scooters in 2018 alone. Most of these accidents and injuries happened in urban areas, similar to St. Louis.
Electric Scooter Accidents Can Cause Serious Injuries
Unfortunately, electric scooter accidents can cause severe injuries to the rider and others involved in the accident.
Some of the most common types of injuries are:
- Broken or fractured bones
- Dislocated joints
- Head injuries
- Brain injuries
- Amputation
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis
- Nerve damage
- Road rash and severe burns
- Crushing injuries
In certain cases, the crash can also be fatal, such as the 2018 death of a young St. Louis man who crashed his e-scooter into a tree.
We help clients no matter the severity of the injuries and assist families in wrongful death cases. We don’t have the power to heal, but we do have the power to get you the resources to focus on recovery.
What Are the Common Causes of Electric Scooter Accidents in St. Louis, MO?
There are many different causes of e-scooter accidents in St. Louis, MO. Sometimes electric scooter crashes are caused by the rider, and sometimes they are caused by other cars on the road. In certain cases, it may also be a combination of factors that cause an accident.
In our experience, the main causes of electric scooter accidents include:
- Drunk driving
- Distracted driving
- Road defects
- Inexperienced driving
- Running red lights
- Scootering on sidewalks
- Failing to signal
- Unsafe left turns
- Inclement weather conditions
- Speeding
- Defective or poorly maintained scooters
Our St. Louis electric scooter accident attorneys will thoroughly investigate the cause of the accident. Then we can determine who is responsible and file insurance claims with the appropriate companies.
Is the Electric Scooter Rider Always Responsible For Causing the Accident?
There’s a common notion that the e-scooter rider is always responsible for causing an accident. While sometimes it may be true, it’s not always the case. Many drivers are unaware of scooter laws and fail to adapt to scooters on the road. This can be dangerous for both parties, particularly a scooter operator who is more vulnerable to injuries.
Some other parties that may be responsible for causing a scooter accident include:
- Drivers on the road
- Bicyclists
- Pedestrians
- The scooter rental company
- The city of St. Louis
We will make sure that you hold everyone who is responsible accountable for contributing to a crash.
What Happens If I Am Blamed For Causing My Electric Scooter Accident in St. Louis?
Unfortunately, you may be blamed for causing or contributing to your electric scooter accident. Perhaps you weren’t wearing a helmet, and therefore your injuries were worse than if you had been. Or maybe you were riding in the middle of the lane instead of on the right-hand side by the curb.
Our goal is always to reduce your liability; however, we can’t always prevent it. The good news is that you can still recover compensation even if you are partially responsible for causing the accident.
Missouri applies a pure comparative negligence law. This means that your final damages are reduced by your share of responsibility. In these cases, the court will assign a percentage of fault to each party and then reduce your award accordingly. For example, if you are 30% responsible for causing the accident, your damages are reduced by 30%.
What Is the Value of My St. Louis Electric Scooter Accident Case?
The value of your St. Louis e-scooter accident case is highly dependent on your injuries. It isn’t just the type of injuries that matters, but also how the injury has impacted your life.
People who have severe and disabling injuries are likely to recover more money than people who will heal quickly. That’s because their medical bills will be more extensive, and the injury has probably affected multiple areas of their life.
For example, perhaps they can no longer work or earn income. They may have to remodel their house to accommodate a wheelchair or pay for in-home nursing care. All of these are factors when it comes to case value.
Furthermore, people who have serious injuries are more likely to have emotional trauma associated with the accident. Their quality of life may decrease, and they may find themselves sinking into a state of depression or anxiety. You are entitled to compensation for emotional and psychological damage as well.
What Damages Can I Request After an E-Scooter Crash in St. Louis, Missouri?
We typically recover the following types of economic and non-economic damages in e-scooter crash cases:
- Medical bills
- Physical therapy and rehabilitation
- Lost wages
- Lost earning capacity
- Property damage
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional trauma
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- The onset of mental illness
The damages that you request are highly individualized. Our lawyers will look at your medical bills, discuss the day-to-day impact of the injury, and consider other factors when calculating your damages.
It’s fairly common that a client doesn’t realize the damages they can seek in a personal injury claim. The benefit of a lawyer is an advocate who will spot opportunity even when you don’t realize it is available.
Call a St. Louis Electric Scooter Accident Lawyer To Set Up a Free Consultation
You shouldn’t be unfairly blamed for causing your electric scooter accident, and you should never feel alone. The best thing you can do is call a St. Louis electric scooter accident lawyer to set up a free consultation.
Schultz & Myers Personal Injury Lawyers is available to discuss your case and explain your legal rights. We will create a strategy for recovering the compensation to which you are entitled. Call us to schedule a time to talk today.
Our personal injury law firm in St. Louis also provides:
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Visit Our Personal Injury Law Office in St. Louis, MO
Schultz & Myers Personal Injury Lawyers – St. Louis
319 N. 4th Street, Suite 835, St. Louis, MO 63102
(314) 444-4444
Open 24 hours