On behalf of Guy Levy Law posted in personal injury on Wednesday, September 26, 2018.
California residents may now be familiar with a new form of transportation sweeping the nation. Especially in urban areas, e-scooters are quickly becoming a popular new way to get from place to place. Recently, the state passed laws allowing riders to operate e-scooters without using a helmet, despite the risk of personal injury. This has resulted in California becoming the first state to report an e-scooters fatality.
E-scooters are small and compact, and many can be folded to conveniently carry on a train or bus. The use of such a scooter can eliminate the need for a car, as people can now zip from place to place on the scooter, which often puts the operator in close proximity to vehicle traffic. Though the companies that rent and sell the scooters say they recommend the use of helmets and provide a safety video before a rider can use one for the first time, the law allowing riders to forgo the helmet is dangerous.
Recently, a California man was using an e-scooter to commute home from his job at a restaurant. He was involved in an accident and was not wearing a helmet. Many of these scooters can reach speeds of up to 30 mph, and some officials are concerned that they have not been properly tested for safety. The scooter the man was on was found a short distance away from his body and was broken into several pieces. It is not known if the scooter malfunctioned, but the rider died of blunt force trauma to the head.
When a person is killed because a product has not been properly tested, or an unanticipated malfunction causes personal injury, victims and their families may find themselves in a state of shock. Advertisements leading users to believe a product is safe can be misleading. Victims and their families may want to consider speaking to an experienced attorney. An attorney may be able to assist as victims attempt to recover from serious injury and determine if a manufacturer or rental company may be at fault for their injuries.
