Who Are We? Why Hire Us?
Boohoff Law is a top-rated Tampa law firm. We focus on recovering compensation for injured people and their families. We have offices across Florida and have national recognition as a top-10 firm in client satisfaction. We have helped thousands of clients recover damages after their injuries. Our experienced team can help you recover after a scooter accident in Tampa.
In Tampa, Scooters Are Becoming More Popular
Due to the availability of dockless electric scooters for rent across the country by a few businesses that use the ride-share model to draw in riders, electric scooters, also known as e-scooters, have become quite popular. The user downloads the rental company’s app and creates an account. After that, the app provides a map showing the scooter’s location near you. The user scans their driver’s license and credit card, then rents a scooter by scanning a code on the machine.
After that, users can ride the scooter and pay only a low base fee plus mileage for their trips. They can leave the scooter near a bike rack when they finish using it.
As soon as the idea took off, cities, counties, and even states scrambled to create new regulations or include e-scooters in old laws to limit liability. Patchwork laws of different cities and states can confuse people, however.
According to Florida law, scooters that travel under 30 miles per hour on level ground without a seat or saddle do not need to be registered. These scooters, however, cannot be driven on city streets or sidewalks. Additionally, the law states that cities and counties may enact their laws to control the scooters’ use and determine where they can operate, provided that their speeds do not exceed 15 miles per hour.
Tampa Scooter Accidents: Dangers to Watch For
A scooter lacks the protective features of an automobile, such as an automobile’s steel frame, airbags, and seat belts, and is smaller and less stable than a car or truck. Accidents are much more likely to injure the riders of these vehicles than the occupants of other vehicles.
Florida has reported over 5,000 scooter and moped accidents in the past decade. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that dockless scooters have also increased emergency department visits. Forty-five percent of the individuals requiring medical attention in scooter accidents had head injuries.
In particular, brain injuries are of great concern because the brain, although controlling all the body’s voluntary and involuntary responses, has a limited capacity to recover from damage sustained in an accident. This may result in permanent loss of memory, loss of the ability to communicate or understand communication, and loss of control over emotions or impulses. A brain injury can also lead to difficulties with coordination, consciousness disorders, and other life-altering consequences.
Most scooter accident victims seeking medical treatment have broken upper extremity bones, including their arms and wrists, while 12 percent have broken lower extremity bones, including their legs, hips, pelvis, and ankles. According to the study, nearly a third of all injuries sustained on scooters happened to first-time riders. A total of 18 percent of the accidents studied by the CDC involved motor vehicles.
In addition to vehicle traffic, scooter riders face the following hazards:
Riders Striking Pedestrians
In most cases, this occurs when riding a scooter on a sidewalk. A major scooter-rental company, Lime, launched a pilot project in 2020 testing sidewalk detection software with its rentals in response to the growing concern about using sidewalks for scooters and the injuries caused by this practice. In addition to monitoring the scooter’s speed, the company says its system can also detect whether it is riding on the sidewalk with almost 95 percent accuracy. It will alert riders when they use the sidewalk for at least 50 percent of their trips.
As a result of the pilot project in San Jose, California, the company has agreed to share its results with the city so that leaders can identify areas where riders feel uncomfortable.
Defective Scooter Accidents
In the past, scooter riders owned their vehicles, so they could properly maintain the scooter’s parts in good working order. With rental scooters, the company that provides the vehicle may not know about potential defects.
What Caused Your Scooter Accident?
Moped or scooter accidents can occur for various reasons, just like any other motor vehicle wreck. Our lawyers will strive to prove that the accident was not your fault to obtain compensation for your damages.
Another person or entity may cause an accident if:
- Another driver was distracted while driving
- An obstructed view from a property feature prevented the other driver from seeing you
- Road conditions such as potholes or uneven surfaces hindered your ability to maneuver the scooter
- Alcohol or drugs were present in the other driver
- A defective product caused the scooter to malfunction
The cause of your scooter accident can make or break your case, so your Tampa scooter accident lawyer will need as many details as possible about what happened.
Getting Compensation After a Tampa Scooter Accident
Florida law permits you to recover damages related to an accident caused by someone else’s careless or reckless actions involving a scooter. If you sue for Tampa scooter accident injuries, you need to prove that someone else caused your injuries and the medical expenses and life impacts you have sustained.
Here are the things you must prove:
The At-Fault Person Owed You a Duty of Care
The duty of care refers to a person’s obligation to prevent harm to others, and the duty owed hinges on the activity and the at-fault party’s role in the event. If, for example, you suffered an injury after a motor vehicle hit your scooter while crossing the street in a crosswalk, it was the motorist’s duty to stop and yield to the person in the crosswalk.
If a pedestrian walking on a sidewalk suffers an injury after a scooter hits them, the scooter rider’s duty of care was to operate the vehicle safely and only where permitted.
Someone Breached a Duty of Care
By breach, we mean the reckless or careless action that happened in contravention of the duty of care. Based on the above example, the motorist breached their duty by failing to yield the right-of-way. The breach must have caused the accident, which resulted in injuries and subsequent expenses and impacts on your life.
Scooter accident injury victims in Tampa can recover both economic and non-economic damages. The economic damages are the actual out-of-pocket expenses incurred due to the accident.
Damages of this type include:
- Medical expenses,
- Wage loss
- Loss of future earning capacity
- Expenses associated with repairing or replacing personal property damaged in the accident.
In your scooter accident lawsuit, you can also claim non-economic damages. Damage of this kind refers to what impact the injury you received has had on your life.
Non-economic damage examples include:
An injury may also result in loss of consortium, which is compensation awarded on behalf of the injured party’s spouse as compensation for the loss of physical intimacy and companionship.
Seek the help of Boohoff Law’s experienced Tampa scooter accident attorney, who can help you to recover maximum compensation for your injuries. We do not charge you anything unless we win your case.
Your attorney can :
- Present your legal options.
- Thoroughly review your case will determine all potential sources of liability and any insurance resources available to compensate you.
- Calculate the value of your case based on your expenses and impacts.
- Negotiate with the insurance company of the at-fault party to obtain a fair settlement offer. In general, insurance companies will attempt to limit their costs by offering a much smaller settlement. They offer those settlements before the individual has had a chance to speak with an attorney. If you find out that the settlement you accepted won’t cover your expenses, you can’t ask the at-fault party’s insurance company for more money. Speak to an attorney and determine the value of your case before accepting a settlement offer.
- Prepare you for court, including gathering evidence and gathering witness testimony.
- Litigate your case in court instead of settling. Scooter accident claims often settle before they enter a courtroom. Find a Tampa scooter accident lawyer who is as comfortable and confident litigating your case as settling it out of court.
- Collect your award or settlement.
- Additional representation if the at-fault party files an appeal.
Consult a Qualified Tampa Scooter Accident Lawyer
If you were in a moped or scooter accident in the Tampa area, you have options.
The Tampa scooter accident lawyers at Boohoff Law will evaluate your case and advise you accordingly. You may schedule your free consultation by calling our office or using our online contact form. Don’t hesitate. Start the process of getting compensation for your scooter accident injuries by reaching out to Boohoff Law today.
Providing Scooter Accident Victims of Tampa With Protection
In recent years, scooters have become increasingly popular among young adults and college students on our university campuses due to their fuel efficiency, affordability, and ease of parking. Unfortunately, riding a scooter does not provide the same protection as riding in an enclosed vehicle wearing a seat belt, surrounded by a metal frame and airbags.
Helmets protect scooter riders, but the law doesn’t require them, leaving riders at risk of serious injuries or even death if they collide with careless drivers.
While you might have limited protection when riding a scooter, you should have maximum protection if you need to file a legal claim, and this is where our legal team comes in. Contact the Tampa scooter accident attorneys at Boohoff Law as soon as possible if you have suffered an injury in a scooter accident.
When You Suffer Injuries on a Scooter, Boohoff Law Can Help
Tampa scooter accidents can have severe consequences for you or a loved one. The result can be a loss of wages, a significant medical bill, and mental suffering. We have the experience to help you receive fair compensation so you can move forward with your life. We know that scooter accident claims are rising, and we stay on the cutting edge of the law to best represent injured victims.
