Accidents involving e-scooters in California are happening more and more. The explosion of e-scooter use can be attributed to popular e-scooter companies (i.e., Bird, Lime, Uber, Lyft, etc.), environmental concerns, and many other factors.
While there are countless benefits to increased e-scooter use, there is also a dark side - more accidents. With that in mind, if you’ve been involved in an e-scooter accident in Los Angeles, it’s in your best interest to take the following steps immediately after an accident:
-
Seek immediate medical attention
-
Contact the police
-
Stay at the scene, collect evidence, and exchange information
-
Contact an experienced e-scooter accident attorney
For more information, contact Steinberg Injury Lawyers for your free initial consultation. Continue reading to learn more about what to do after a California e-scooter accident.
Seek Immediate Medical Attention
E-scooter accident injuries aren’t always immediately apparent. That’s mainly because of the rush of adrenaline caused by accidents. However, simply “shaking it off” or dealing with accident injuries later can lead to serious health risks and possibly negatively impact your ability to file a personal injury claim in the future.
Additionally, per California law, you owe others involved in the collision a “duty of care.”
That means that you must at least check to be sure they are not seriously injured, and if they are, you are required to contact emergency medical services at a minimum.
Otherwise, you could be held criminally liable.
Contact Law Enforcement
Individuals involved in an e-scooter accident must contact law enforcement under the following conditions, but not limited to:
-
The collision involved an intoxicated driver, serious injury, or death
-
It was a hit-and-run accident
-
One of the vehicles required a tow truck for removal from the accident scene
-
The e-scooter accident involved a commercial vehicle
It’s important to note that minor accidents don’t have to be reported to the police, not including the circumstances mentioned above. However, not contacting law enforcement incurs many risks, up to the inability to pursue damages for injuries uncovered hours, days, or months after the accident.
Remain at the Scene of the Accident
Regardless of if the accident causes significant injuries or minimal damages, it’s in your best interest to remain at the scene as long as it takes to:
-
Take pictures and videos of the scene, vehicles involved, and injuries suffered
-
Exchange contact and insurance information with the other drivers involved
-
Identify eyewitnesses and surveillance cameras in view of the accident
Contact an E-Scooter Accident Attorney
After an e-scooter accident, you should consider contacting an e-scooter attorney once you’ve completed the on-scene tasks listed above.
You are not required to hire an attorney. However, it can be helpful when dealing with complicated e-scooter accident cases, accidents involving multiple parties, and accidents causing severe injuries.
If you’ve suffered serious injuries in an e-scooter accident, you don’t have to negotiate with insurance companies, track down witnesses, and build a strong personal injury case on your own. We’re here to help.
Contact an e-scooter accident lawyer at Steinberg Injury Lawyers today for your free initial consultation.
