Gainesville Scooter Accident Lawyer

Gainesville Scooter Accident Lawyer

If you’ve been injured in a scooter accident in Gainesville, FL, you may be entitled to compensation for your scooter accident injuries. The experienced Gainesville scooter accident lawyers at Allen Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, can help you maximize your recovery.

Our mission is to help people who are hurt in accidents to get compensation to make them whole again. We believe results matter. We can help you find your way after a scooter accident. We are accident and injury lawyers. It is what we do.

We genuinely enjoy talking to our clients and helping them get what they deserve when they have been injured by another person’s negligent or reckless acts. Our attorneys are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Contact us today or give us a call at (877) 255-3652.

Why Should I Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer After a Scooter Accident?

Why Should I Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer After a Scooter Accident?

If you had a scooter accident recently, you may be wondering if you need a Gainesville personal injury attorney. Our office offers free case evaluations. There’s no obligation to hire us to get your free evaluation. We want to hear your story. You can tell us what happened and what losses you have suffered as a result of your scooter accident. 

How can a personal injury lawyer help a college student or resident of Gainesville after a scooter accident? 

A reliable and knowledgeable lawyer can investigate the facts of your case to:

When you have been injured in a scooter accident, your first focus should be on your medical recovery. But your next step should be to contact a reputable personal injury lawyer.

When you have been involved in a scooter accident in Gainesville, don’t just want to hire the personal injury attorney who has the loudest commercial or the biggest billboard. You want to hire a firm that is responsive to clients and ready to get to work for you. Allen Law Accident & Injury Lawyers takes pride in our winning characteristics: hard work, discipline, preparation, and toughness. 

How Our Gainesville Personal Injury Attorneys Can Help You With Your Scooter Accident Case

How Our Gainesville Personal Injury Attorneys Can Help You With Your Scooter Accident Case

We know scooters. Generally, scooters fall into at least two primary categories: motor scooters and “motorized” or electric scooters. Florida law does not define motor scooters and so they fall under the definition of a motorcycle. Allen Law Accident & Injury Lawyers can let you know what to do after a scooter accident. 

Our attorneys have experience with motor scooter cases. Operators of motor scooters are required to have a driver’s license, but they are not required to have automobile insurance. Our firm uses our knowledge of motorcycle cases since we know that Florida law categorizes motor scooters like motorcycles. 

Our principal attorney, Bill Allen, has been riding motorcycles for over 35 years. As a fellow rider of motorcycles, these motorcycle and motor scooter accidents are personal to Bill. His knowledge, experience, and perspective as both an attorney and a rider make Allen Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, an easy choice to help you with your case. 

What You Can Expect When You Contact Allen Law Accident & Injury Lawyers

You can expect us to be available. You can contact Allen Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Whether it’s the middle of the night or the middle of the afternoon, we are ready to hear from you about your scooter accident. 

You can also expect us to care about your case from the very beginning. At Allen Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, there are no unimportant cases. We treat each client’s case with care and compassion. 

When preparing for your first consultation, you can expect that you will have the opportunity to have your questions answered. If we are hired to represent you, some of the things you can expect us to do include:

  • Quickly get started gathering evidence about your scooter accident
  • Support you through your medical treatment and recovery
  • Explain what damages you may be able to claim 
  • Minimize your responsibility, if any, for the injuries involved in your accident; and
  • Engage with leading experts who will help prove your case.

From the beginning of every case, we focus on how our clients will feel about us in the end. We want to earn our client’s satisfaction.

We will determine the proper compensation you are owed, correctly and timely file your legal claim, present your case in its best light and be with you every step of the way. 

Florida Scooter Accident Statistics

In the U.S. over the past 15 years, the scooter has surged in popularity as a method of transportation. In the years leading up to 2014, scooter sales increased by 60%. 

Recently, companies like Uber, Lyft, Bird, and Lime have begun offering electronic scooters for rent to anyone with a smartphone. The rise of this trendy transportation has also led to a rise in scooter injuries.  

There are thousands of scooter accidents each year in Florida. Scooters are especially popular on university campuses. 

Causes of Scooter Accidents in Gainesville

Like most motor vehicle accidents, distracted driving can cause scooter accidents. 

Other common causes of scooter accidents in Gainesville could include: 

Of course, there’s not always one single cause of scooter accidents. Sometimes, an accident can be the result of multiple reasons. 

Negligence

Negligence is the failure to exercise ordinary care that a prudent person would exercise. When operating a scooter, that could mean performing risky maneuvers such as jumping curbs, riding opposite of the flow of traffic, or operating the scooter on surfaces not meant for traffic. 

Speeding

Like speeding while driving a car, speeding while operating a scooter can be dangerous. It is also illegal. When a scooter is traveling at an excessive speed, the operator has less time to react to their surroundings. When there’s a rapid change in the operator’s surroundings, like a car pulling out of a drive, mere seconds of reaction time can mean the difference between life and death. 

Alcohol or Marijuana Use

All motor scooter operators must follow the same laws as automobile drivers. Operating a scooter under the influence of alcohol or marijuana is not only illegal, but it can lead to deadly outcomes. When under the influence of alcohol or drugs, judgment is impaired and impaired judgment means bad decision-making. 

Inexperience

Inexperienced operators are much more likely to be involved in a scooter accident. Most people who rent scooters are not experienced operators. Inexperienced operators may not be familiar with the best practices or safest maneuvers while operating a scooter. 

Weather

Weather conditions can create road hazards that increase the risk of a scooter crash. Since scooters have a different center of gravity than cars, and because the operator is required to balance themselves while on the scooter, scooters can be more likely to slide on wet road surfaces. 

Common Scooter Accident Injuries

The CDC conducted its first-ever study of electric scooter injuries in 2019. The study found that the electric scooter injury rate was 14.3 out of 100,000 rides. 

Following the surge in electric scooter popularity, there has also been an increase in emergency room visits for:

Other scooter injuries include damaged teeth, torn muscles, and broken fingers. Severe injuries like blunt force head trauma and brain injuries can also occur, especially if the person riding the scooter is not wearing a helmet. 

Serious injuries can occur if scooters hit curbs, potholes, or other uneven street surfaces. 

While burns may not be the first injury that comes to mind, some electric scooter companies have recalled batteries over fire safety concerns. Companies that rent scooters may be responsible for any foreseeable injury that could arise out of the use of their scooters. Electric scooters can even be operated on sidewalks, creating plenty of opportunity for unusual, but reasonably foreseeable, injuries, like colliding with a pedestrian. 

Damages Available After a Scooter Accident

Damages are a monetary remedy to compensate you for your loss or injuries. 

Compensation awards could include money for: 

If a loved one suffered fatal injuries, you may have a claim for compensation for their wrongful death. 

Over 90% of drivers in moped and scooter crashes are uninsured. But that does not mean you will not be able to recover damages. Especially if the scooter is a rental owned by a company and not the operator. Rental companies are likely to have insurance. 

Statute of Limitations for Scooter Accident Lawsuits in Florida

Usually, lawsuits must be filed within a certain time after the incident leading to the damage. The amount of time within which a lawsuit has to be filed is called the statute of limitations. If the lawsuit is not filed on or before the deadline, the party with the right to sue loses their right to recovery forever. For “general negligence” claims, the statute of limitations was recently changed. For accidents occurring on or before 3/23/2023, the deadline is four years; otherwise, it is two years.

However, there may be exceptions to the general rule. If you have been injured in a scooter accident, it is in your best interest to contact Allen Law Accident & Injury Lawyers. We are familiar with the different time limitations and can help you move quickly to preserve your claim. 

Comparative Negligence in the State of Florida

What happens if you were, or think you may have been, somehow responsible for the crash? When the injured party may be partly responsible for their injury, the law applies a theory of comparative negligence. 

Our Gainesville car accident lawyers are knowledgeable about Florida’s modified comparative negligence rule. We fight to minimize your responsibility, if any, in the accident. If you are found to be responsible for some percentage, your total settlement may be reduced by your percentage of the fault. And if you are found to be mostly responsible for the accident, you cannot recover damages.

You can still benefit from hiring a skilled personal injury attorney even if you may have been partly responsible. We will do our best to prove that your harm was caused entirely by another person’s negligence.

Contact Our Gainesville Scooter Accident Lawyers Today for a Free Case Evaluation

Contact Allen Law Accident & Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation with our Gainesville scooter accident lawyers. We are comfortable handling injury and wrongful death cases related to scooter accidents. We can work with you even if you think you might be partially at fault for your injuries. Your first consultation is free, so call our law offices in Gainesville for preliminary legal advice now.

Our personal injury law firm in Gainesville, FL also provides: