Electric scooters are popular on the streets of New Port Richey, Florida. They are both a fun activity for the adventurous and a convenient way to get around town. Unfortunately, electric scooters can also be dangerous.
E-scooter crashes can cause serious injuries. If you’ve been hurt in an electric scooter accident, you may need legal help. A New Port Richey electric scooter accident lawyer may be your best resource.
Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers knows the ins and outs of electric scooter laws. We have over 119 years of combined experience and have helped countless clients recover fair compensation. We have won tens of millions of dollars on behalf of our injured clients.
Time is of the essence in an e-scooter case. Call our law office in New Port Richey, FL, today at (727) 910-5060 to set up a free consultation today.
How Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After an Electric Scooter Accident in New Port Richey, Florida
A New Port Richey electric scooter accident lawyer can help you get money to pay for medical bills, lost wages, and other losses caused by the crash. Since 2001, Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers has worked hard to help accident victims in the Tampa Bay area. This includes against big insurance companies and bullies in court.
We are known as aggressive attorneys because we don’t waste time or back down until our clients get justice. When you hire us to represent you after an electric scooter accident in New Port Richey, we will:
- Explain the relevant laws
- Investigate the cause of the accident
- Identify all potentially liable parties
- Collect evidence
- Consult with experts
- File insurance claims
- Negotiate with insurance companies
- Evaluate settlement offers
- File personal injury lawsuits
- Represent you at trial
We know that every electric scooter crash is unique. Your case may require a different strategy than others. Our New Port Richey personal injury lawyers will evaluate your situation and listen to your needs first. After we understand how you have been affected by the e-scooter accident, we can fight for fair compensation.
Call our personal injury law firm today to set up a time to talk about your case. Your initial consultation is free and has no strings attached.
Are Electric Scooters Legal in New Port Richey, FL?
Yes, electric scooters are legal in New Port Richey, Florida. Many residents choose to rent electric scooters through local shops. Additionally, some residents own electric scooters. They store and charge the scooter in their home.
Just because e-scooters are legal doesn’t mean that it’s a free-for-all all. There are state-wide laws governing electric scooters. Riders must generally adhere to laws that apply to bicyclists but do not need a driver’s license or insurance like a car.
This makes it easier for almost anyone to ride an electric scooter. However, it can also make it harder to recover compensation through insurance when involved in a crash with a rider.
To minimize your risk, it’s smart to make sure that you know the electric scooter laws before hitting the streets in New Port Richey. A lawyer can explain the law and make sure that you have all the information you need to ride safely and protect yourself from lawsuits.
How Common Are E-Scooter Crashes?
Unfortunately, electric scooter crashes are very common. Between 2021 and 2022, injuries from e-scooters increased by 22%. This continues a trend of growing numbers of injuries since 2017, when e-scooters first became more popular.
Many of these crashes were fatal or resulted in hospitalizations for serious injuries. Furthermore, children are far more likely to get injured on an electric scooter than adults. This makes sense, considering they are popular among teenagers who cannot drive or don’t have access to a car.
What Causes Most Electric Scooter Accidents In New Port Richey?
Many different factors contribute to electric scooter accidents in New Port Richey, Florida. Sometimes, our clients aren’t sure what caused an accident. This may happen because of the severity of their injuries, like losing consciousness, or because crashes tend to happen quickly.
Some of the most common causes of e-scooter accidents in the area include:
- Inexperienced riders and operator error
- Distracted driving
- Failure to yield to the right of way
- Failure to follow bicyclists’ laws
- Drunk or drugged driving or scootering
- Failure to check blind spots
- Obstructions in the road
- Lack of signage
- Improperly maintained equipment
- Poor visibility
Our attorneys will help you find out the cause of the crash so that we can provide the best representation. This may include investigating and collecting evidence. Many of our clients need more time or resources to conduct this investigation and rely on us to do it for them.
By contacting a lawyer as soon as possible after a crash, you will have the best chance of getting evidence that may not exist days, weeks, or months later.
Why Are Electric Scooters Dangerous?
Electric scooters are dangerous because they don’t have the same protective equipment that a car has. Furthermore, many riders don’t wear helmets like bicyclists wear. When a rider is involved in a crash, their body is completely exposed. They can be easily thrown from the scooter onto concrete or even crushed under another car.
Furthermore, drivers are also exposed to increased danger when a rider isn’t following the rules of the road. Many e-scooter riders are unpredictable because they don’t know the law. This means that a driver might swerve to avoid an accident or cause a car crash because of an irresponsible rider.
Our attorneys at Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers often see serious injuries like:
- Broken bones
- Traumatic head and brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis
- Severe burns
- Crush injuries
- Organ failure and damage
- Amputation
Unfortunately, sometimes riders and drivers die as a result of the crash and their injuries. We also represent families in wrongful death cases that arise from e-scooter accidents.
Who Is Liable for My Damages After an Electric Scooter Accident in New Port Richey, Florida?
The negligent person is responsible for damages from an electric scooter accident. Other parties could be liable as well, depending on the facts of the case.
Negligence is when a person fails to use reasonable care and causes another person to get hurt. Reasonable care means acting with the same level of caution that an average person would use. An example of negligence would be texting while driving. The average person knows that this is likely to cause an accident.
Your lawyer will need to prove that someone is negligent to hold them liable. In an e-scooter case, this could be:
- The rider
- A driver
- A bicyclist
- A pedestrian
- The city of New Port Richey
- The electric scooter rental company
- The e-scooter maintenance company
- A bus driver
It’s also possible that more than one party contributed to causing the electric scooter crash. In that case, you can recover money from each party proportionate to their share of responsibility.
Furthermore, if you are getting blamed for causing an accident, you can still recover damages under Florida’s modified comparative fault statute. That is as long as you are no more than 50% responsible. If you are more than 50% responsible, then you lose the right to recover anything.
If you are getting blamed for causing an accident, you should immediately talk with a lawyer. Insurance companies and the defendant will try to blame you to get out of paying damages. It is better to address this blame up front than to lose the battle later.
What Damages Can You Recover After a New Port Richey Electric Scooter Accident?
You can recover the same damages after an e-scooter crash as any personal injury case in Florida. This includes economic damages, non-economic damages, and sometimes punitive damages.
Economic damages are financial losses associated with an injury or accident. This is the most common type of damage. It includes:
- Emergency medical bills
- Doctor visits and copays
- Lost wages
- Lost future earning capacity
- Cost of medicine
- Surgeries
- Therapeutic devices
- Rehabilitation and physical therapy
- Out-of-pocket expenses
Non-economic damages, however, are different. This form of damages pays you for pain and suffering because of a crash. This may include:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional trauma and anguish
- Permanent scarring or disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of companionship or consortium
In rare cases, you can also recover punitive damages. That is, if you prove that the defendant acted with gross negligence or intentional misconduct. This is harder to show, but it is not impossible. If you think you may be entitled to punitive damages, an attorney can help you build a strong argument.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our New Port Richey Electric Scooter Accident Lawyers
Don’t delay reaching out to a New Port Richey electric scooter accident lawyer after a collision. The best thing you can do is get started on your legal case before it is too late.
You only have two years before the statute of limitations runs out and you lose your right to recover damages. You might even have less time than that, depending on your circumstances.
Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers is ready to get started and hear your story. Call us at (727) 910-5060 to set up a free consultation and learn more about your legal options.
