Does Lime have Safety Rules for Scooters?

Yes, Lime has safety tips on their website and mobile app to encourage safe and responsible riding among their customers. The rules are similar to California laws for electric scooters, as you can see from the following recommendations:

• Always wear a helmet while you are on the scooter
• Make sure to follow all traffic rules and signals.
• Keep your hands on the scooter at all times so that you can brake or slow down as needed.
• Conduct a safety check of the brakes, steering, and tires before you start the scooter.
• Use hand signals and give ample warning to cars behind you before you make a turn.
• Park scooters on the curbside, making sure there is plenty of room for pedestrians to get by safely.

Many of these tips apps are reasonable, common sense measures that we can all agree with. You should also refrain from getting on a scooter while drunk or high, not have more than one person on the scooter at a time, and avoid distracting activities, like using headphones and checking your phone.

What are the Causes of Lime Scooter Accidents?

Lime scooters are an economical and environmentally friendly option for short-distance travel. However, there is no denying that scooter accidents are fairly common, especially in busy urban areas like downtown Los Angeles. There is no singular cause that applies to all motorized scooter accidents, but we can narrow down the most common reasons behind these incidents:

• Reckless driving is the leading cause of all accidents involving motor vehicles. The truth is, most people don’t intend to harm others when they’re out on the road. But even a simple error, like not slowing down at a stop sign or going 10 miles faster than the speed limit can lead to an accident.
• Negligent scooter riders can also cause accidents that injure one or more people. Like drivers, those using scooters have a duty of care to follow basic rules, like checking blind spots, following traffic signals, and watching out for pedestrians.
• Unqualified / inexperienced riders have a greater chance of falling off the scooter, losing control of the vehicle, or getting hurt in some other way. Because scooters are easier to operate than other motorized vehicles, teens are especially at risk of injuries. Scooters have a learning curve like anything else, and it’s important to go slowly and build the necessary knowledge and experience before going out on public roads.
• Dangerous road conditions are a leading cause of car accidents, but they also affect people on bikes and scooters. Potholes, fallen branches, missing or unclear signs, and failure to de-ice the pavement are examples of improper or lack of maintenance by one or more government entities.
• Defective scooters don’t cause as many accidents as carelessness by drivers and scooter riders. However, defects with one or more components on a scooter can cause all sorts of problems, like sudden stops or acceleration, brake failure, and loose handlebars.
• Poor parking jobs aren’t just for automobiles; scooters can also be parked in a careless or sloppy manner. Pedestrians must have a clear path to walk through, but a scooter that’s too far out from the curb can cause them to trip and fall down. In these situations, the renter or the “Juicer” (the person responsible for scooter picks and drops offs) may be liable for injuries to a pedestrian.

Scooter Accidents and Possible Injuries

The injuries you can suffer in a scooter accident will vary depending on the type of accident, whether you hit an obstruction, pre-existing medical conditions, and many other factors. Sometimes, the victim is lucky to only have cuts, bruises, and minor damage that heal completely over time. But it’s absolutely possible to end up with severe health issues that impair your ability to work or perform basic tasks. Even worse, the impact of the injuries can cause death, even if the person is relatively young and healthy.

This is why you are legally required to wear a helmet when riding on a scooter. However, this is limited protection only for your head, which is why scooter accidents can still result in:

• Deep cuts and puncture wounds
• Traumatic brain injury
• Neck or spinal cord damage
• Broken bones
• Missing or broken teeth
• Dislocated knee, shoulder, and other joints
• Sprains in the ankles or wrists
• Back injuries, like herniated disc
• Hip fracture
• Ruptured internal organs
• Infections from germs entering open wounds
• Soft tissue injuries (damage to ligaments, tendons, and muscles)
• Loss of consciousness
• Eye damage that leads to vision problems
• Hearing loss caused by injury to the brain and/or ear canal
• Paralysis resulting from nerve damage
• Complex regional pain syndrome

Who is Liable for My Injuries from a Lime Scooter Accident?

Who is legally responsible for the harm you suffer in a Lime scooter accident? The answer depends on various details about your accident, i.e., how were you injured? As a company that simply offers a rental service for scooters, Line is not automatically liable when an accident involves one of their vehicles. In fact, most cases of injury are due to negligent conduct by one of more of these parties:

• Drivers: auto drivers could be liable for the damages caused by a scooter accident if their negligent and reckless actions caused the accident.
• Riders: scooter riders could be liable for the damages caused by a scooter accident if it was their own negligent and reckless actions that contributed to their accident. Riders are usually liable if their own recklessness resulted in injuries to themselves or pedestrians.
• Cities/counties: cities, counties, and even state transportation agencies can be liable for scooter accidents under certain circumstances. If poor road conditions caused a scooter accident, the cities/counties could be liable.
• Scooter manufacturers: the companies that manufacture these scooters have to ensure that they their products are not defective in any way. They must ensure that their scooters are safe to use. If manufacturers fail to identify or address safety concerns with their scooters, they could be liable.

Regardless of how you got hurt while using a Lime scooter, it’s clear that individuals and public entities all contribute to keeping the roads safe and preventing bodily harm to others. If some form of negligence or malicious conduct by others caused you to be injured, you have the right to seek justice by filing a compensation claim. Guidance from a scooter accident lawsuit attorney is the way to submit your claim in a timely manner and proceed with litigation if necessary.

Does Lime Offer Insurance Coverage for Accidents?

Rideshare and food delivery app companies have insurance in the event of an accident where the company is liable, and information about the policy is clearly spelled out on their website. However, this level of transparency is not ensured with businesses that rent out motorized scooters. And even if they do have coverage for accidents, it’s not always easy to find out whether the company is self-insured or pays for an insurance policy elsewhere. You may also have problems finding out about the procedures for an injury claim and what damages will be covered if Lime is legally responsible for the accident.

It’s important to note that the laws in California do not require such companies to have insurance for riders, which is why this type of information is not readily available. Of course, that doesn’t mean that Lime is uninsured, and you have no legal recourse in the event you were injured by the company’s negligence. Lime is actually self-insured, which is very common with businesses that are based on apps and offer services rather than products. A self-insured company reviews and pays out all claims of liability for bodily harm and property damage. So, they do not work with an insurance provider, meaning you will deal directly with the company in terms of filing a claim and negotiating a settlement.

Keep in mind that Lime is not liable for accidents arising from negligence by the rider, so if you got hurt because you were going too fast, weaving in and out of traffic or doing something else that was careless or reckless, Lime is not responsible for the resulting injuries. Lime also bears no responsibility if someone else, like a driver that turned without signaling, caused you to be injured. So, you would have to show that the accident was a direct result of defects with the scooter or some other issue that can be blamed on the company. Otherwise, Lime cannot be sued for the cost of medical treatments and other expenses that resulted from the accident.

Electric Scooter Accident Statistics

Though electric scooters and rental companies are relatively new, the increased rate of accidents cannot be denied, as you can see from an article by Consumer Reports. Since late 2017 to early 2019, there were at least 1,500 incidents of electric scooter accidents. We say “at least” because those are the ones we know about, but plenty of accidents are unreported. Many of these cases involve scooters that were rented from companies such as Lime.

In the city of Los Angeles, 249 people went to the ER after getting hurt on a scooter within a 1-year period, according to the Jama Network Open. Around 91% of the patients were riding on the scooter, and the rest were bystanders, like pedestrians.

Even with these numbers, how many people are actually hurt in electric scooter accidents is somewhat of a mystery. Not all hospitals track these events, and many victims do not seek medical attention or speak to a lawyer about their rights and legal options. We can say with certainty that the rate of scooter accidents have soared since the inception of Lime and Bird in 2017. Though we can’t cover them all, let’s look at a few real-life accidents where someone was injured on or by a motorized scooter:

• Ngoneh Secka had rented a scooter in San Diego in September 2018. She unlocked the scooter and was testing the brakes prior to starting the vehicle. This is part of the normal safety check recommended by scooter rental companies to ensure a safe riding experience. Unfortunately, a malfunction with the brakes caused her to go down a steep hill and end up with serious injuries.
• In March 2018, a woman named Sharona Kaplan was forced to swerve suddenly when a child ran out in front of her. The accident, which occurred in Santa Monica, resulted in Kaplan needing surgery and physical therapy for injuries to both of her arms.
• A Los Angeles woman was with her son on the sidewalk when someone on a scooter crashed into her at 15 miles per hour, the maximum speed for E-scooters. The woman lost consciousness and was later diagnosed with a concussion.
• A 21-year-old exchange student named Mark Sands was killed while riding a Lime scooter on a busy street. Police reports indicate that Sands was riding down the wrong side of the street and was hit by an oncoming vehicle. Sands died later that day at the hospital due to the severity of his wounds.

Verdicts and Settlements in Scooter Accident Lawsuits

Scooter accidents have been on the rise in the past few years, and this is no surprise considering how easy they are to rent in hundreds of cities throughout the world. How do these cases play out in real life? What kind of settlements are paid out to the victims and their families? The outcome of any lawsuit is based on numerous factors, many of which are beyond you or your attorney’s control. With that in mind, let’s examine some of the cases that were tried in court or settled between the involved parties.

Roche Hahan and Marielisa Villasenor v. Morning Chuang and Eve Chuang

February 15, 2015, Spouses Roche Hahan and Marielisa Villasenor were riding on a scooter in San Francisco on February 15, 2015. The scooter was operated by Hahan, who entered the intersection when the light was green. At that moment, he ran into a driver who had proceeded thru the intersection at a red light. This caused the driver, Morning Chuang, to hit another vehicle.

Because of the accident, the plaintiffs suffered numerous injuries to the clavicle, knee, and forearm, which required extensive treatments. It’s clear that Morning Chuang violated traffic laws by running a red light, which was determined to be the primary cause of the accident. The jury awarded the plaintiffs $3.26 million, which comprised of:

• $334,000 to Hahan for medical costs, along with $700,000 for current pain and suffering, and $1.35 million for future pain and suffering.
• $26,000 to Villasenor for medical expenses, $16,000 for lost wages, and $1.2 million for current and future pain and suffering.

Brittany Bagwell v. Courtney Miller and David Miller

The plaintiff, Brittany Bagwell was riding her E-scooter on a 2-lane residential street when the car in front her slowed down. Bagwell attempted to pass the vehicle, but the driver turned left without warning and hit Bagwell’s scooter. The plaintiff fell down and suffered injuries to multiple parts of her body, including her right knee.

Bagwell sued the driver, Courtney Miller and the owner of the car, David Miller. The claim against David was later dismissed. As for the driver, it was determined that she slowed down on the right side of the road where several others cars were parked. Because she slowed down, Bagwell assumed that she was looking for a parking spot and turned left to go around her. Unfortunately, Miller also chose to turn left without using her turn signal, thus not giving any indication of what she was about to do.

According to testimony by medical experts, Bagwell is likely to need further treatment for her knee, and it’s expected that she will have pain in and around the injury site for the rest of her life. The case was resolved in favor of the plaintiff, who received $400,000 after asking for $814,000 in damages. Her award included a little under $17,000 for past medical expenses, $23,000 for future medical needs, and around $360,000 for pain and suffering.

In this case, it’s clear that the driver was at fault, since she failed to signal her intent to make a turn. But even without that, she could have avoided hitting Bagwell had she just taken a moment to check her blind spots. Because of her lapse in judgement, Brittany Bagwell has to deal with permanent medical complications and psychological trauma resulting from a needless accident.

Zeferina Rodriguez and Juan Rodriguez v. Kyle Nobutisi Masui, Amy Masui, City of Los Angeles, County of Los Angeles, and State of California Department of Transportation

Chris Rodriguez was riding his non-motorized Razor scooter through the neighborhood. The 13-year-old came to an uncontrolled and blind intersection, where he was struck by Kyle Masui in a vehicle owned by Amy Masui. Christopher died from the accident, and a lawsuit was filed by the parents (Zeferina and Juan Rodriguez) against several entities:

• Kyle Masui for speeding (he was going 35 to 40 mph when the speed limit was 15 to 25)
• Amy Masui, the owner of the vehicle
• City of Los Angeles
• County of Los Angeles
• California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)

The last three entities are government agencies that are in charge of maintaining road conditions in California. However, the claims against LA County and Caltrans were dismissed because the intersection was under the jurisdiction of the city, and the case against Amy Masui was dropped as well.

The case resulted in a settlement of $2.6 million, with liability split between the city of Los Angeles and Kyle Masui. Masui’s insurance company paid $100,000, and the rest of the payment came from the city. Sadly, this was a tragic incident that should never have happened, but failure by multiple entities caused a young boy to lose his life while enjoying a day out on his scooter.

Conclusion

These cases illustrate how negligent actions by one or more parties can lead to a tragic accident. Liable entities may include agencies of city, county, and state governments, aside from careless drivers. It’s important to hold all the responsible parties accountable, which will help maximize the amount you can recover as an accident victim or surviving family member. With a skilled scooter accident lawyer by your side, you can achieve a just resolution to your case and move forward in a positive direction.

What Do These Cases Settle for?

How much a scooter accident lawsuit is worth can be very different from one case to another. The resulting payout to victims can be anywhere from several thousand dollars to ,000,000 and above depending on the level of harm and negligence by the defendant. Many elements, like the defendant’s insurance coverage limits and whether you are partly to blame for the incident, play a role in the amount of compensation you will receive. The majority of clients we represent for scooter accidents receive around $25,000 to $100,000, but settlements can easily exceed $1,000,000 for those who end up with a permanent disability. Wrongful death claims can also result in multi-million dollar awards, especially if more than one party is at fault.

The payment you negotiate with the insurance company or obtain from a jury verdict may include the following:

• Immediate and future medical costs
• Lost and future lost wages / income
• Property damage
• Pain and suffering / emotional distress
• Punitive damages if a jury determines gross negligence by the defendant (exceptionally negligent or malicious conduct)

Did you lose a family member or spouse from injuries caused by a Lime scooter accident? You may be entitled to wrongful death compensation in the form of:

• Funeral expenses
• Cost of medical treatments and services up until the date of death
• Loss of expected earnings and benefits
• Loss of consortium
• Pain and suffering

What to Do after a Lime Scooter Accident

To build a personal injury case, you must take certain steps to collect evidence and show how the other party failed in their duty of care. Being injured is a confusing, scary, and traumatic experience, and many people want to get away from the scene as soon as possible and try to forget about what happened. However, we urge you to take the following actions in case you decide to go ahead with a lawsuit:

• Call 911 if you have severe, potentially life-threatening injuries. Otherwise, take photos of any injuries and damage to your belongings and the scooter. Also, take photos of damage to any other vehicles and structures.
• Make sure to file an accident report if you were injured by someone else (a driver that pulled out in front of you, for example). This will create an accident report that you can order, print out online, or pick up from the station later on.
• If there are people that saw what happened to you, get their contact information in case they are willing to provide witness statements.
• Regardless of how you were injured, seek medical attention as soon as possible. Injuries can quickly get worse and cause permanent damage without timely medical care. You must also have medical records showing how you were harmed in the accident to proceed with an insurance claim.
• Notify the scooter rental company of the accident, and try to do it in writing (through the mobile app, for example). The goal is to keep things simple and stick to the facts. Do not get emotional or speculate on what may or may not have happened, as you don’t want anything to be used against you later on. This is why it’s better to give a written statement that you can review and edit rather than talking to someone on the phone.
• Get legal advice from a Lime scooter injury accident lawyer, who can guide you through the claims process and handle all communications with the insurance company.

Statute of Limitations for a Lime Accident Claim

Even with a solid case based on irrefutable evidence, you can lose the right to sue if you are past the statute of limitations for a legal case. Essentially, injury victims in California have 2 years from the incident date to file a claim against the party at fault. If you lost a loved one to a Lime scooter accident, your time limit for a lawsuit is 2 years from the victim’s death.

The time limit can change based on circumstances like the victim being a minor when the accident occurred. In these situations, the deadline for a lawsuit is 2 years from whenever the victim turns 18. On the other hand, if a public entity is liable for the accident, you must submit a claim for damages within 6 months of the incident or date of death. Public entities that may be responsible for a scooter accident include a city or county government, state of California agencies, and public school districts.

The personal injury lawyers of DTLA are ready to hear your story and help you figure out how long you have for a scooter accident lawsuit. Just give us a call at your earliest convenience or use our contact form so that we can get in touch with you.

Help from an Experienced Scooter Accident Attorney

Victims of a Lime scooter accident need to learn about their rights and legal options. They also need effective representation from a lawyer that specializes in accidents on rented scooters and other vehicles. The legal team of DTLA is standing by to assist you, and we are more than ready to fight for the compensation you need and deserve.

We aim to provide accident victims with peace of mind, thereby allowing them to focus on their physical and emotional recovery. Protecting your finances is another part of our commitment to you and your family, which is why we have a Contingency Fee Arrangement. You do not pay us any fees upfront, and instead, we collect a percentage of your settlement at the end of a successful claim. If you do not receive payment from the negligent party, you will not be charged a single penny for legal services.

To schedule a free consultation, contact our office 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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