Bird scooters have popped up recently, allowing people to ride them for a dollar and 15 cents per mile. The company has appeared very quickly and seemingly without any preemptive marketing or approval; they needed to pay almost half a million dollars in fines and had to acquire numerous business licenses to safely operate in Southern California, for example. With the large amount of scooters readily available and that are used to get around, it is no surprise that accidents of all kinds happen each day. As such, you may be seriously hurt in a Bird scooter incident and look to receive compensation for your damages. You could receive the fairest settlement if you take legal action against Bird and enlist the help of a Bird scooter injury lawyer from Kenmore Law Group in Los Angeles. We can help you no matter what the nature of the accident is, whether you fell off a Bird scooter, tripped and fell over a stray vehicle, or suffered injuries because of a broken scooter.
Can I Sue Bird Scooter If I Got Injured By Their Scooter?
Yes, you can sue Bird Scooter company if you were injured by a scooter. You can take legal action against the business if they were negligent in some way. For example, if a Bird scooter underwent a defective repair and its brakes stopped responding or if the electronics were compromised, you could easily get into an accident. Given the fact that the scooters can go up to 15 mph, you could suffer moderate injuries if you were to slip and fall from the scooter.
The failure to repair the scooter properly can be used as grounds for a lawsuit. We can sue the contractor that repaired the scooter and we can even hit Bird with legal action. You should not be expected to cover the costs of your injuries and ensuing damages if you were hurt because of a defective product.
You can also sue Bird if you were a pedestrian that was hurt by a Bird scooter that was lying on the sidewalk. Many people who take the scooters elect to leave them wherever they end up, which results in many scooters simply cast aside and tossed around negligently in busy areas, such as downtown locations; it is proportionally worse because of the increased levels of foot traffic in these areas that would force users to rent Bird scooters in the first place. It is dangerous for these scooters to be strewn about on sidewalks; you may trip and fall very easily on them. Also, those who are handicapped and in wheelchairs, for example, would have trouble going around the scooters. It would additionally be very difficult for you to find the person who left the scooter, as they can be moved by virtually anyone, even if they do not use the app; therefore, if you slipped and fell, you would find it in your best interests to sue Bird Scooter for your injuries.
You may also find it necessary to take action against the company if the scooter caused you to get in an accident of some kind. For example, other cars on the road already have trouble identifying those who travel on bikes and scooters, and accidents happen every day. If the scooter locked up or malfunctioned while you were near traffic, resulting in accident and injuries, you could file a claim with Bird.
The scooters require you to have decent balance and to properly navigate rough roads. A cracked sidewalk, pothole, or other kind of road hazard could cause an accident that could worsen if there are other cars around.
To learn more, speak with a Los Angeles attorney with experience in Bird Scooter injury accidents today.
Regulations of Scooters
There are numerous laws and regulations regarding Bird scooters. They are as follows:
- Wear a helmet
- Only one person may ride a scooter at a time
- Must be 18 years old or older
- Have a valid driver’s license
- Ride in designated bike lanes and never on the sidewalk
- Do not use the scooter while inebriated or under the influence of any mind or body altering drugs
- Do not hitch the scooter to any other vehicle
- Keep one hand on the handlebars and do not hold any items that could inhibit your control
- Leave the scooters in legal parking spots or out of the way of pedestrians and cars
Injuries from Bird Scooter Accidents
Even though Bird scooters do not travel very quickly, you can still suffer numerous damages from accidents while riding them. There is a chance that you can be thrown from the scooter, hit by another vehicle, caught between another vehicle and an object, land wrong, trip over a scooter, and more. The damages you can sustain include:
- Neck and spinal cord injuries
- Concussion
- Head injury
- Facial damage and eye injuries
- Sprains and strains
- Broken hand
- Broken fingers
- Broken leg
- Dislocated or separated shoulder
- Broken arm
- Knee injury (torn ACL, torn MCL, torn meniscus)
- Brain injury and brain damage
- Broken hip
- Injured your back (herniated disc, bulging disc, lumbar damage)
- Torn muscle
- Nerve damage
- Cuts, bruises, lacerations, abrasions
- Crushing injuries
- Internal organ damage
- Paralysis
Although some of these injuries seem excessive, the damages you suffer can be greatly increased if you are involved in an accident with another vehicle. A car accident involving a Bird scooter can yield much more intense injuries than if you fell and got injured. Reach out to an injury lawyer for Bird scooter accidents at Kenmore Law Group.
Legal Information
In order to file a claim, you must show that there was negligent action taken by the responsible party. Therefore, if a Bird product were defective in some way, you could point to the company as willingly putting a malfunctioning item out for use. Other instances, such as car accidents, can be more difficult to bring Bird into it, but with the help of a skilled lawyer, you will not have an issue.
The four points of negligence that must be proven include being owed a duty of care, which was then breached; the breach must then have led to an accident, which in turn caused physical harm. The physical harm aspect is important; if you were not hurt, you would not be able to file a personal injury claim.
In order for you to prove to the insurance agency that you were hurt in a Bird scooter accident, you must submit evidence. An attorney can put all of your evidence together to present it to the insurance agent. This packet should include photos of your injuries, pictures of the damage to the vehicle, photos of the scene of the accident and where the incident took place, eyewitness reports or testimonies, and any medical reports or police reports that accompanied the accident. It is important that you seek medical attention at the scene of the incident or immediately after, as the longer you wait to get help, the more likely it is that the insurance company can claim that you were not hurt in the incident.
The most important part of filing a claim is making sure you have an attorney experienced in Bird scooter accident lawsuits who can help you.
How the Value of your Case is Determined
If you file a lawsuit against Bird for injuries you received from a scooter accident, you should be aware of how the insurance agent will value your case. Your injuries are the main factor in determining the worth of your lawsuit; if they were particularly significant or impactful, you could face a larger settlement than if they were minor and did not have an effect on your life. If your career were compromised because of the damages, you could earn much more.
Of course, you should not accept the first offer that an insurance agent gives you. Many insurance companies work to retain as many profits as they can, and this includes not paying out victims of incidents and accidents. The agents may offer you absurdly low amounts or not respond for weeks, which can lead to you wanting to accept something as quickly as you can. To prevent this, it is recommended that you find an expert lawyer who can represent you. You may not have the time, energy, or knowledge to fight the insurance agency, but our lawyers do. We can negotiate a better deal for you and win you the maximum compensation available under the law.
Statute
If you do wish to file a lawsuit against Bird for your injuries, you will need to adhere to the statute of limitations. You will only have two years from the date of the injury to file a claim; if you wait too long, you will not be able to receive any compensation and your claim will be thrown out. This statute exists because cases should not sit for too long while evidence is potentially lost and witnesses’ memories fog over. Your injuries and damages may also be minor enough that a lawsuit years down the line will just take more time than it is worth.
How Kenmore Helps
Kenmore Law Group can help you receive coverage for medical expenses, lost wages, damaged property, pain and suffering, and more if you choose to file a lawsuit against Bird. We are an aggressive group of lawyers that will endlessly work to negotiate a fair offer from the insurance company. If we need to bring your case to trial before a judge and jury, we will do so. We know that Bird scooter accidents can be dangerous, and we want to help you in any way we can.
Contact our Los Angeles law group today to schedule a free consultation and to receive more Bird scooter accident lawsuit information. We will give you all the details you need to make an educated decision about your case. If you want us to represent you, we will give you our zero fee guarantee, which promises that you will not have to pay any out of pocket expenses for our services. We will only have our fees paid if we win your case, and the money will be taken from the settlement we bring you. If we lose, you don’t have to pay us a dime.
To speak to the best injury attorneys in Los Angeles, California, contact Kenmore Law Group. We can help you file a Bird scooter accident lawsuit.
