e-scooter

Chicago has witnessed a dramatic increase of e-scooters riders on the roadways and bike paths in recent years propelled propelled by e-scooter ride share companies like Divvy and Lime setting up stations. With increased number of e-scooter riders, the e-scooter injury lawyers of Zneimer & Zneimer P.C. has also observed a dramatic increase of people injured in e-scooter accidents. Driving around Chicago, one witnesses e-scooters everywhere. One sees people riding on the bike paths, riding on the sidewalk, riding with traffic and riding against traffic. To add to the confusion, e-scooter riders have a tendency not to follow traffic rules like stopping at stop signs and stopping for red lights.

The influx of e-scooter riders on the sidewalks and on roadways have not only lead to more accidents but also more complaints from pedestrians who must dodge e-scooters. With more complaints comes more regulations. Some cities have gone a step further and have banned e-scooters all together. The city of Melbourne has recently voted to end its contracts with e-scooter operators, Lime and Neuron ending a two year trial period. “I have heard in recent days from residents, from traders, from visitors to Melbourne, literally begging us to bring the trial to an end to make our city safe again” Melbourne Mayor Nicolas Reece was quoted in saying at a news conference.

Though the e-scooters were popular, averaging 6,800 daily trips according to city statistics, the popularity also came with a sharp rise in complaints from pedestrians on footpaths and a sharp rise in emergency room visits. The Royal Melbourne Hospital reported 256 e-scooter related injuries in 2023, including one death.

Electric scooter use has risen dramatically in Chicago over the last few years. The popularity of electric scooters is spurred by the introduction of shared services such as Divvy, Lime and Spin. These scooters are left on the on sidewalks and streets and can be unlocked with a smartphone app. When a user is done with their trip they can just leave the scooter at their destination. With this surge of e-scooter usage has been accompanied by a surge in e-scooter related emergency room visits.

It is easy to see how susceptible to injury scooter riders are. E-scooters travel up to 20 MPH and some travel even faster. E-Scooter injury lawyer, Peter Zneimer of Zneimer & Zneimer, P.C. was recently driving down Peterson Ave. in Chicago going about 25 MPH when he was passed by an e-scooter going at least 30 MPH. On top of that, e-scooters have small wheels that require smooth surfaces to ride on. As any resident of Chicago can attest, potholes and rough surfaces are everywhere on Chicago streets. When the small wheels of a e-scooter hit a pothole or rough surface, the rider is likely to be thrown hard on to the pavement. If a person falls off an e-scooter on to the pavement at these speeds it is almost guaranteed to be injuries. The most common injuries are cuts, scraps, bruises, fractures and head injuries.

There were approximately 42,200 emergency room visits in the United States in 2021 according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. This represents an increase of 66% over 2020. The increase in injures for children under 16. Because of the high risk of injury, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under 16 should not be allowed to ride electric scooters.

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