Early Tuesday, March 4, 2019, a car hit a person riding a scooter in the far-right lane on I-75 near Fletcher Avenue. Severely injuring the scooter rider. The Florida Highway Patrol says that the 32-year-old scooter rider injured was driving slowly in the outside lane and was rear-ended by a 2011 Toyota Sienna.
The impact threw the rider several feet over the guardrail and on the grass. Paramedics took him to Tampa General Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. Police cited both drivers, the scooter driver for impeding traffic and the Toyota driver for careless driving.
Tampa Bay Scooters
Electric scooters are becoming a popular alternative transportation in many of the nation’s cities. Companies like Bird, Lime, Skip, and Spin have cropped up over the last few years. They place scooters all over the city and riders can rent them and then drop them wherever they are when finished.
This has caused cities some problems and many detractors feel that the scooters are a nuisance and a safety hazard, while supporters say that it’s an inexpensive way for the city to provide transportation to thousands of people a day. Either way, it puts a lot of scooters on the streets.
As of March 1, 2019, Tampa Bay has not yet joined in the list of cities offering scooters as a means of transportation. There are expectations that scooters will be coming soon to Tampa Bay.
Scooter Rider Accidents
Regardless of whether or when Tampa Bay gets their scooter program, scooters are still being used by people as a cheap way to get around the city. Many of these are the motorized scooters, also called mopeds. Electric scooters are smaller and people ride them standing up.
Florida law prohibits electric scooter on the state’s roads but allows motorized scooters on the roadways and are treated as vehicles so long as they meet the minimum requirements for headlights, brake, tail and turn lights, etc. However, they are not allowed on the freeways unless the motor is 50 cc’s or more.
The problem with motor scooters is that they have a low profile and many times aren’t seen by drivers of cars. Some riders will zip around in and out of traffic while others will be going too slow and frustrate drivers.
This causes accidents, and when that happens, the law allows the injured person to seek compensation just like they would in a typical vehicle accident.
Common Scooter Rider Injuries
Scooters are small, lightweight, and they leave the rider fairly unprotected. The cars and other vehicles might outweigh a typical scooter as much as 20 times. This puts the scooter operator at a huge disadvantage when a car or truck and a scooter collide. Some of the common injuries of a scooter accident are:
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Broken Bones (legs, wrists, and ribs most common)
- Road Rash
- Deep Bruises
- Deep Lacerations
Do I need an Attorney?
If you are injured in a scooter-motor vehicle accident, chances are you are seriously injured and are experiencing substantial financial losses. Many people wonder if they need an attorney or if the insurance company will take care of them.
Consult with our personal injury team. The insurance company doesn’t make money by paying out too much for their claims. So put someone on your side who knows the law and will use it to get the highest compensation allowed.
RHINO Lawyers is the powerful, results-driven law firm, that takes Insurance Companies and Bullies “head-on!” We describe our bold modern approach to “Accident & Personal Injury Law” and “Our Personal Mission” to empower Florida’s families to “Take Charge!”
