What to Do if You Are Injured on a Bird Scooter in Pennsylvania

Electric scooters are becoming a great, affordable, and ecologically sound way to get around, especially in cities. Riders like the way that they can be easily stored and packed, plus the fact that they can go pretty far – and pretty quickly – on a single charge. However, Pennsylvania law doesn’t love electric scooters quite as much, and it is important to know what to do if you were involved in an accident on an electric scooter in Pennsylvania.

As of the writing of this article, electric scooters are actually illegal in Pennsylvania outside of private property. That means you are technically breaking the law by riding one on the street or on the sidewalk, which could potentially put you partly at fault for the crash. However, this does not give someone the right to just hit you and get away with it. After an accident, collect as much information as you can and call a lawyer as soon as possible to help you file injury claims through insurance or through the courts.

For a free case assessment, call The Reiff Law Firm’s personal injury lawyers at (215) 709-6940.

How Scooter Laws Affect What You Do After an Electric Scooter Accident in Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, there are laws allowing foot-powered scooters, and there are laws allowing “scooters” in the sense of mobility devices – electric vehicles with a seat and handlebars. However, there are no laws allowing electric scooters, the kinds of scooters you might find as Bird scooters or other similar brands in other states. Without laws accounting for these vehicles, they would have to pass equipment inspections that they would fail, given that the scooter doesn’t live up to the requirements for mobility scooters, mopeds, or other legal vehicles. This can drastically affect what you do after a crash.

Even though electric scooters are illegal, you should still call the police after being hit by a car while riding an electric scooter. The legal trouble that you might get in for riding a scooter is probably a traffic ticket, which most police officers would be unlikely to issue in the aftermath of an accident that seriously injured you. Instead, you still need police and EMTs to respond to help you and to write up an accident report for the crash. So still definitely call the police even if your scooter isn’t exactly legal.

You should also contact a lawyer right away, given that your right to recover compensation might be affected by the legal status of your scooter. In the event that the defense tries to blame you for the crash by pointing to scooter laws in Pennsylvania, our lawyers can help recenter the blame on the defendant and show that your violation of scooter laws really had nothing to do with the crash or only minimally impacted the situation. If you were riding a foot-powered scooter, it is possible the accident would have been just as bad, so it is difficult to say that your choice of vehicle had much to do with the crash. It is also possible that if you were hit while you were stopped or stationary, the fact that you were “on” a scooter had nothing to do with the crash, and our personal injury lawyers can help shift all the blame back onto the dangerous driver who hit you.

Steps to Take After an E-Scooter Crash in Pennsylvania

As mentioned, after an accident, you should call the police; dial 911 and ask for an officer and, if needed, an ambulance. EMTs can assess everyone at the scene of the accident and recommend further treatment at the hospital if you need it. If they do so, you should get all care you need right away to avoid any underlying injuries getting worse and to create records and documentation of your injuries.

From there, you should also – if you can stay at the scene – collect information from drivers and witnesses to make sure you have the contact information for everyone involved; the driver’s insurance information; the make, model, and license plate number of any vehicles involved; and whatever other information you think might be helpful. If you can take photos of the crash scene, vehicle damage, intersection, injuries, and other notable features, do so.

Our lawyers can seek out other information like the police report and any security camera footage in the area that might have captured the accident. We can also help you file any insurance claims or lawsuits to recover damages after the crash.

What to Do If You Were Injured on a Bird or Lime Scooter in Pennsylvania

Because electric scooters are not street legal (or legal on the sidewalk) in Pennsylvania, Bird and Lime do not operate scooter rentals in Pennsylvania. As such, being injured on a Bird or Lime scooter would be unlikely. In any case, an electric scooter accident is like any other accident: afterwards, you should call 911, collect as much information as you can about the crash and who was involved, get any medical treatment you need, then contact a lawyer for help pursuing damages for your injuries.

Are Electric Scooters Dangerous?

When manufactured, maintained, and ridden properly, electric scooters can provide a safe and enjoyable means of transportation from Point A to Point B. Unfortunately, even when riders are careful and cautious, hidden product defects can lead to serious scooter accidents.

In June 2019, AP News reported on one emergency room physician who, as one of the authors behind a groundbreaking study of scooter injuries, found that “249 scooter injuries [occurred during a yearlong period], and more than 40% were head injuries.” Consumer Reports, a trusted non-profit organization that provides product safety reviews, estimates that at least 1,500 people have suffered scooter-related injuries since 2017. Public safety advocates, consumer advocacy groups, concerned citizens, and medical professionals alike have questioned whether the benefits of these scooters outweigh the potential risks.

In many cases, injuries are caused by collisions between passenger vehicles and scooters, which, like bicycles and motorcycles, offer little in the way of impact or injury protection. However, accidents can also be caused by manufacturing or design defects, or by defective parts which cause a scooter to malfunction or handle improperly. Faulty repairs, lack of routine inspection and maintenance, and other safety oversights should be thoroughly investigated to determine what role negligence might have played in your accident.

Injuries Caused by Electric Scooter Accidents

As noted above, a disproportionately high percentage of injuries caused by scooter accidents are brain or head injuries. A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is any brain injury caused by an external blow, or by the brain striking the inner walls of the skull during an accident. (By comparison, non-traumatic brain injuries have causes such as tumors or infections.) A concussion is an example of a “mild” traumatic brain injury, or mTBI. Other TBI examples include contusions (bruising), diffuse axonal injuries (DAI), and brain injuries caused by objects penetrating the skull.

At The Reiff Law Firm, our Bird scooter accident lawyers handle all types of injury claims, including lawsuits involving

• Back injuries
• Broken bones (bone fractures)
• Broken teeth
• Cuts and bleeding
• Hand injuries
• Hip injuries
• Knee injuries
• Internal injuries
• Paralysis and spinal cord injuries (SCI)
• Permanent disability and impairment
• Permanent scarring and disfigurement
• Shoulder injuries
• Skin injuries such as “road rash”
• Sprains, strains, and other soft tissue injuries
• Wrist injuries
• Wrongful death

Product Liability Lawyer for Bird Scooter Accident Injury Claims

Some law firms try to rush through their cases, pushing for injury settlements that may not always be in the client’s best interests. At The Reiff Law Firm, we have established a reputation as skilled and sophisticated litigators who are unafraid to take powerful businesses to trial. We will analyze your claim from every legal angle to determine the appropriate strategy, working tirelessly to maximize your recovery. Our objective is to see that you and your family have what you need to begin moving forward again.