If you live in Cleveland or have spent any time in the city, you have probably seen people riding on electric scooters as they are doing in other major U.S. urban areas. While Cleveland only recently began a trial run with electric scooters—or e-scooters, as they are commonly known—a recent article in Governing.com suggests that “the rentable two-wheelers are likely here to stay,” according to Cleveland’s city planning director Freddy Collier. That article underscores how Collier anticipates that, “as scooters become more popular . . . Clevelanders will come to view them as a viable mode of transportation, comparable to buses and bicycles.”
Yet e-scooters pose serious accident and injury risks to Cleveland residents and to visitors in the city. According to a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of California-San Francisco, scooter-related injuries are on the rise in a serious way. Many scooter accident victims are suffering traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and other catastrophic head injuries. I want to say more about e-scooter accidents in Cleveland and to help anyone who has gotten hurt to learn more about their options for filing a claim.
Cleveland Only Recently Got E-Scooters
While e-scooters have been in large-scale use in a number of major urban areas throughout the U.S. for quite some time now, the e-scooter phenomenon only recently came to Cleveland. Back in August, Cleveland.com reported that Mayor Jackson’s administration had chosen four different e-scooter companies to operate in specific areas throughout the city, including downtown, Tremont, and University Circle. The initial plan was for those scooter companies to remain in operation for six months, at which point city officials would decide whether to make e-scooters a permanent option for transportation in Cleveland. The scooter companies currently operating in Cleveland include Bird, Lime, Spin, and Veoride.
As in other cities, users rely on apps to rent the e-scooters. However, unlike some other major cities, Cleveland has limits on e-scooter use. Users are prohibited from riding at speeds beyond 12 miles per hour, and users cannot ride e-scooters on streets with speed limits above 35 miles per hour unless there is a bike lane (where the scooter rider must remain). Riders also must be at least 18 years old. Other regulations include a prohibition against riding e-scooters after dark, as well as a rule against riding on the sidewalk in any business district. But are these rules really enough to prevent the serious types of accidents being linked to e-scooter usage across the country?
Getting the Facts About E-Scooters and Catastrophic Injuries
E-scooters are frequently involved in accidents that result in catastrophic and serious injuries. The data from the UCSF study suggests that scooter-related injuries rose by about 222% in the U.S. between the years 2014 and 2018, resulting in more than 39,000 injuries. In total, about 3,300 of those e-scooter accident victims had injuries so severe that they needed to be hospitalized.
Head injuries are among the most common that emergency physicians see when it comes to e-scooter accidents. To be sure, “the study found that nearly a third of the patients involved in scooter accidents suffered head trauma.” Most riders do not wear helmets, and Cleveland does not currently require them.
Contact an Accident Lawyer in Ohio
If you suffered an injury in an e-scooter accident, you may be able to file a claim for compensation. As an Ohio accident lawyer with years of experience zealously representing injured plaintiffs, I will do everything I can to get you the compensation you deserve. Contact me at 877.944.4373 today. I’ll Make Them Pay!®
