Both scooters and e-scooters have become quite popular in recent years. Children have always enjoyed scooters and similar devices, and even adults have picked up on the e-scooter trend. People buy their own scooters or rent them from companies that install stations in major metropolitan areas.
With a sizable influx of 500 new e-scooters recently sent to the Kansas City area as a means of limiting the traffic impact of the 2023 NFL draft, the risk of people getting hurt in a scooter collision is on the rise. Regardless of whether or not a scooter has an electric motor installed, it will likely not do much to protect its rider in the event of a crash.
Who covers the cost of a scooter collision?
The driver at fault should have insurance
Scooter crashes often lead to serious injuries for the rider and minimal damage to the larger vehicle. Medical care for the scooter rider is often necessary. Even in a low-speed collision that occurs at a crosswalk, a driver striking a cyclist or scooter rider could knock that person over, possibly breaking their bones or causing a traumatic brain injury.
If the driver who hits the self-propelled vehicle maintains a higher speed, the risk of severe injury and even death increases. Drivers typically have liability insurance that will help reimburse those hurt in a crash, but the injuries that result from such collisions are often severe. Mediocre insurance that complies with Missouri state law may not be enough to cover medical expenses and other financial losses caused by such crashes.
People may end up in court pursuing a personal injury lawsuit because of the financial devastation that follows a collision while they were on a scooter. Even if a scooter rider tries to be safe and wears a helmet, such safety devices can only do so much. They can reduce the severity of injuries and potentially save someone’s life after a collision, but the rider will still end up hurt. There is no equipment that can completely protect someone from the injury possible in a scooter collision.
Therefore, people need to know their rights, including the option of filing an insurance claim or the potential of pursuing a personal injury lawsuit against a driver who hits them. Understanding the right to seek compensation after a crash can be as important as seeking to avoid one when out for a ride.
