As state lawmakers introduce bills to legalize electric scooters in the state of Pennsylvania, locally, the Philadelphia City Council is already paving the way for the possibility of dockless electric scooter rentals in Philadelphia. The city council held a hearing to explore how electric scooters would be utilized in the city and to look at how they have worked out thus far in other cities that already have these rentals.
Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyers are closely following local government developments regarding electric scooters because they know that these scooters have caused severe injuries and even death to people in other cities where scooter companies are operating.
Dockless scooter companies
Electric scooter companies like Lime and Bird have already made their way into many big cities and their arrival has not exactly been smooth. In some cities, these scooter companies dropped off their scooters with no prior discussion with city officials and created chaos and animosity that even resulted in scooters being banned in several cities.
How scooter rentals work
Electric scooter companies place their rental scooters around the city and residents looking for a scooter ride locate nearby scooters on the company app. They rent a scooter through the app and when they reach their destination, riders just leave the scooters for the next person looking for a scooter rental.
Electric scooter concerns
As previously mentioned, these companies were not welcomed by all cities due to some real safety concerns including those listed below:
- There is little to no actual training for riders before they are allowed to rent the scooters. This has led to riders losing control of their scooters and getting into accidents.
- There is often confusion as to where electric scooters are permitted to operate, especially when the companies arrived in cities unannounced so that governments were not able to put scooter operation laws into place.
- Scooter rentals do not come with helmets. Some companies provide free helmets at riders’ requests, but helmets are mailed to them instead of being immediately available.
- Scooter maintenance is a concern as scooters breaking mid-ride have been frequently reported.
- Pedestrian safety is also a concern. Dockless scooters travel at speeds of up to 15 miles per hour and negligent operation, especially at high speeds, puts pedestrians at risk of being struck by scooters.
- Because the scooters are dockless, they are often left in the middle of sidewalks, parking lots, driveways, and other locations where they present dangers to pedestrians, bicyclists, and other scooter riders.
- Scooter accident injuries can be devastating and even deadly.
Electric scooter injuries
Emergency room in cities with dockless scooter rentals have reported high numbers of serious injuries sustained in electric scooter accidents. Scooters collide with Cars, bicycles, pedestrians, and fixed objects. Accidents also happen due to scooters hitting curbs, bumps, and pavement cracks at high rates of speed. Common injuries include Brain Injuries, spinal cord injuries, broken bones, road rash, and broken teeth.
For now, electric scooters are prohibited in Philadelphia and elsewhere in Pennsylvania, but attorneys at The Law Offices of Greg Prosmushkin, P.C. are anticipating the possibility of their arrival and the personal injury claims that will be sure to come with them. If you or a loved one has sustained injuries in an accident caused by someone else’s fault, contact our personal injury experts for a free consultation. Dockless scooter companies
Electric scooter companies like Lime and Bird have already made their way into many big cities and their arrival has not exactly been smooth. In some cities, these scooter companies dropped off their scooters with no prior discussion with city officials and created chaos and animosity that even resulted in scooters being banned in several cities.
How scooter rentals work
Electric scooter companies place their rental scooters around the city and residents looking for a scooter ride locate nearby scooters on the company app. They rent a scooter through the app and when they reach their destination, riders just leave the scooters for the next person looking for a scooter rental.
Electric scooter concerns
As previously mentioned, these companies were not welcomed by all cities due to some real safety concerns including those listed below:
-
- There is little to no actual training for riders before they are allowed to rent the scooters. This has led to riders losing control of their scooters and getting into accidents.
- There is often confusion as to where electric scooters are permitted to operate, especially when the companies arrived in cities unannounced so that governments were not able to put scooter operation laws into place.
- Scooter rentals do not come with helmets. Some companies provide free helmets at riders’ requests, but helmets are mailed to them instead of being immediately available.
- Scooter maintenance is a concern as scooters breaking mid-ride have been frequently reported.
- Pedestrian safety is also a concern. Dockless scooters travel at speeds of up to 15 miles per hour and negligent operation, especially at high speeds, puts pedestrians at risk of being struck by scooters.
- Because the scooters are dockless, they are often left in the middle of sidewalks, parking lots, driveways, and other locations where they present dangers to Pedestrians, Bicyclists, and other scooter riders.
- Scooter accident injuries can be devastating and even deadly.
Electric scooter injuries
Emergency room in cities with dockless scooter rentals have reported high numbers of serious injuries sustained in electric scooter accidents. Scooters collide with motor vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, and fixed objects. Accidents also happen due to scooters hitting curbs, bumps, and pavement cracks at high rates of speed. Common injuries include brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, broken bones, road rash, and broken teeth.
For now, electric scooters are prohibited in Philadelphia and elsewhere in Pennsylvania, Lawyers at The Law Offices of Greg Prosmushkin, P.C. are anticipating the possibility of their arrival and the personal injury claims that will be sure to come with them. If you or a loved one has sustained injuries in an accident caused by someone else’s fault, contact our personal injury experts for a Free Consultation.