Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC can help you if you’ve been injured in an electric scooter accident in Kentucky. E-scooters have become a more common way to get around Kentucky, especially in larger cities. They’re convenient, they’re easy to use, and they can get you where you’re going without having to deal with a car. But that convenience goes away pretty quickly when there’s an accident. We can guide you through the claims process. Set up a free consultation today.
Does Getting a Lawyer Make Sense After an E-Scooter Accident?
It’s pretty easy to understand why there’s nothing easy about an e-scooter accident. Like a regular scooter, you don’t have any protection against a moving car. What’s more, you also have to deal with problems with a road or sidewalk. Basically, there’s a lot that can leave you injured—and you don’t have a lot of control over it.
And then the bills start showing up. You may need medical treatment, miss work, have a damaged scooter, and start getting calls from an insurance company asking questions about what happened. That’s where having a lawyer can make things a lot easier. Our team can:
- Explain your options in plain terms so you know what to expect
- Look into what caused the accident and figure out who could be responsible
- Deal with the insurance company and its questions about your claim
- Get pictures, witness statements, medical records, police reports, and other evidence
So yes, the suddenness of an e-scooter accident takes everybody by surprise. One second, you’re riding along, and the next thing you know, you’re on the ground and hurting. It’s a confusing time, but one way to cut through that is to get help from our team.
What Information Can Help After Your E-Scooter Accident?
The last thing you’re thinking about right after you’re in an e-scooter accident is getting information. Instead, you’re on the ground and in pain. There’s a lot of confusion, so one of the most helpful things to do is slow things down and get help by:
- Calling 911 if you’re hurt. Police and EMTs can help with your injuries and document what happened.
Everything else can flow from that, so while you wait for police and an ambulance, it’s a good time to get a few basic things like:
- Pictures and videos of the scooter, vehicle involved, your injuries, the road, sidewalk, traffic signs, bike lanes, potholes, debris, and anything else
- Contact information from the driver, pedestrian, bystander, or anyone else who saw what happened
- Information about nearby businesses, homes, security cameras, doorbell cameras, or traffic cameras that may have actually gotten footage of the accident
That’s about as much as you need to worry about at the scene. You’re not trying to document the entire accident yourself. You’re just trying to get enough information to get the ball rolling. Then, over the next few days and weeks, you’ll want to keep track of things like:
- Medical bills and records
- The police report
- Notes about your pain, recovery, and how your injuries are progressing
- Pay stubs or work records if you’ve missed time on the job
- Camera footage before it gets deleted
- Receipts for damaged helmets, phones, clothing, or other gear
- Repair or replacement estimates for the e-scooter
You don’t have to have all of this figured out yourself. Even if all you have are a few pictures and your medical records, that gives us somewhere to start. We can help fill in the gaps and put everything together while you focus on getting better.
How Legal Responsibility Works With an E-Scooter Accident
There’s a lot of different things that can come into play with an e-scooter accident. You’re moving faster than you would on a normal scooter or skateboard, you’re often sharing the road or sidewalk with other people, and you’re much more exposed if something goes wrong.
But just because you’re riding an e-scooter doesn’t mean you give up your rights when you’re hurt in an accident—particularly when someone else was being negligent. That might mean:
- A driver was speeding, distracted, impaired, failed to yield, or simply wasn’t paying attention to you.
- A city or property owner didn’t fix a pothole, broken pavement, dangerous sidewalk, or poor lighting.
- Another cyclist, pedestrian, or e-scooter rider wasn’t being careful.
- A company that made defective brakes, steering, tires, battery, motor, or some other part that failed.
- A rental or scooter company that didn’t respond to complaints about faulty scooters or parts.
So yes, there can be a lot of questions when it comes to legal responsibility after an e-scooter accident. That’s why figuring out exactly what happened is so important. Once we understand what caused the accident, we can start looking at who may be responsible for your injuries and losses.
What Claim Options Do I Have After an E-Scooter Accident?
An e-scooter accident may feel different from a normal accident, but your legal options are generally based on the same basic idea. If someone else’s negligence caused your injuries, you may be able to seek financial compensation through:
- An insurance claim outside of court
- A personal injury lawsuit
Obviously, there’s a lot of variability in what these accidents leave you dealing with. But there’s financial help available based on your:
- Medical expenses and future medical treatment
- Lost wages or a reduced earning capacity in the future
- Repair or replacement costs for damaged personal property
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Reduced quality of life
- Wrongful death damages in fatal accidents
Even with these options, they can evaporate quickly the longer you wait. That’s because (usually) the longer you wait, the more time there is for evidence to disappear, witnesses to forget what happened, or deadlines to become a problem.
Where Do E-Scooter Accidents Happen in Kentucky?
E-scooters can take you through a lot of different parts of Kentucky. That also means there are plenty of different situations where an accident can happen. And when you think about where they’re designed for, it’s easier to see where accidents with them usually happen:
- Downtown streets, where cars, bikes, pedestrians, and scooters are all moving through busy intersections.
- College and university areas, where students and other riders use scooters to get around.
- Busy commercial areas with restaurants, businesses, pedestrians, bikes, and vehicle traffic.
- Shared-use paths where scooters are around runners, pedestrians, and cyclists.
- Bike lanes, where drivers may turn across your path or fail to see you.
- Parking lots and shopping centers, where drivers may not be expecting a scooter.
- Streets and sidewalks with potholes, cracks, uneven pavement, or other conditions that can be especially dangerous on a small scooter.
- Residential areas where a driver may not expect an e-scooter to be traveling through an intersection or crossing.
The location can tell us a lot about what happened, but it’s only one piece of the puzzle. You also have to look at the whole picture. And remember, you don’t have to try to handle all this by yourself.
Kentucky E-Scooter Accident Lawyers Can Help You
E-scooters can be a convenient way to get around Kentucky, but that convenience can disappear pretty quickly when you’re involved in an accident. You don’t have to figure all of that out alone.
Our Kentucky e-scooter accident lawyers at Kaufman & Stigger can help you understand your options, look into what happened, gather the evidence, deal with the insurance company, and guide you through the claims process. Set up a free consultation today.
