Electric scooters are extremely dangerous, and scooter accidents can result in serious and fatal injuries. Although Ohio cities recently reassessed whether electric scooters should be available for use, residents and visitors to Cleveland, Columbus, and other Ohio cities continue to rent electric scooters. Although some Ohio cities have restricted the places in which electric scooters can be used, consumers continue to rent these dangerous vehicles without any training and often without proper safety gear. A recent study in Science Daily reported that head and neck injuries are the most common type of injury in electric scooter accidents, and many of those patients end up with life-long disabilities. In some electric scooter accident cases, those catastrophic head and neck injuries are fatal. Let me tell you more about this study.
Head Injuries Are Common in Electric Scooter Accidents
The recent study was conducted by researchers in the Henry Ford Health System’s Department of Otolaryngology. In analyzing emergency department visits over the last three years, the researchers determined that “e-scooter injuries have increased significantly, with many of them related to head and neck injuries.” The study looked specifically at various types of head and neck injuries caused by electric scooter accidents, including “concussions, fractures, contusions and abrasions, lacerations, and internal organ injuries.”
Of all reported injuries from electric scooter accidents that required treatment in an emergency room, the authors of the study found that almost 28% of those injuries affected the victim’s head or neck. In addition, the researchers discovered that young people used to be disproportionately injured by electric scooters, but now older people are suffering serious injuries, as well. To be sure, the study found that, between 2009 and 2017, “Patients who were 17 years old or younger made up the most injured age group.” However, since 2017, riders up to the age of 44 now make up the “most injured age group.”
Lack of Helmets Is a Problem
According to Kathleen Yaremchuk, an author of the study and the chair of the Department of Otolaryngology, it is clear that a lack of helmet use plays a major role in the high rate of head injuries.
As Dr. Yaremchuk emphasized, rideshare electric scooters need to be treated as vehicles that have significant safety risks, and users need to wear helmets and to use the scooters appropriately. Yet even when riders wear helmets, accidents can still happen. According to Dr. Yaremchuk, the authors of the study ultimately hope that it will “educate users of rideshare e-scooters about the potential for serious head and neck injuries, and the safety precautions they should take.”
Contact My Firm to Get Help with Your Case
Electric scooters are extremely dangerous, and people who live in Cleveland and who visit the area can rent scooters with relative ease. Even without sufficient experience driving an electric scooter, a person can rent one of these vehicles. Ultimately, an electric scooter accident can result in severe injuries to the rider as well as to nearby pedestrians or bicyclists who were involved in the collision.
Many electric scooter accidents are ultimately fatal, especially when the rider is not wearing a helmet. If you were injured in an electric scooter accident, you could be eligible to file a claim for financial compensation. I’ll Make Them Pay!® Give me a call today at 877.944.4373 to find out more about filing a claim and seeking compensation for your injuries.
