Miami Moped and Scooter Accident Attorney

Scooter and Moped Use Rise in Miami, Along with Injuries

Scooters, particular electronic scooters or “e-scooters,” have become increasingly popular among Miami tourists and residents. It is easy to see why. E-scooters can be rented with a smartphone in minutes, used to zip through congested Miami streets, and parked nearly anywhere. The use of e-scooters has surged in recent years, with multiple rental companies vying to dominate Miami’s growing and increasingly profitable e-scooter market. But e-scooters can be dangerous, and the numbers prove it.

E-Scooter Injury Statistics

The Associated Press reported that “In the U.S. alone, riders took 38.5 million trips on rentable scooters in 2018, according to the National Association of City Transportation Officials.” The Associated Press further reported that a whopping 40,000 people were treated nationally at hospital emergency rooms during a 4-year period because of e-scooter injuries. “Nearly 40,000 broken bones, head injuries, cuts and bruises resulting from scooter accidents were treated in U.S. emergency rooms from 2014 through 2018,” according to the Associated Press.

According to the Miami New Times, “ the first publicly documented deadly rental-scooter accident in the Sunshine State” took place in Fort Lauderdale in 2019, killing a 27-year-old. At least eight people in the U.S. have died while using a rentable e-scooter since the fall of 2017” and “75% of the known fatalities with shared e-scooters were due to collisions with cars,” according to Consumer Reports. A recent Sun-Sentinel study found 74 scooter riders were in accidents in a matter of 5 months, resulting in 57 trips to the hospital and 10 severe injuries. Most accidents happened on the weekends.

Electronic scooters, traditional scooters, and mopeds continue to place riders at risk when used on the congested streets and roads of Miami and South Florida. Lawyers at Viñas & DeLuca have handled multiple personal injury cases related to scooter and moped injuries. These injuries are often catastrophic given the lack of safety features on scooters and mopeds.

Causes of Scooter and Moped Accidents in Miami

Scooters and mopeds can be hard to notice when operated on Miami’s busy roads. An increase in distracted and aggressive driving has also contributed to the high number of scooter and moped riders injured or killed. Some hit and run drivers may not even know they struck a scooter or moped rider.

Additionally, areas like Miami, Broward, and Palm Beach County are frequented by tourists unfamiliar with city streets and traffic patterns. This can lead to uncertainty among those on the road. Scooter riders can also be uncertain as to which traffic rules apply to them. Lack of adequate bike lanes, potholes, and other infrastructure shortcomings can also contribute to scooter and moped injuries in Miami.

Who is to Blame for Scooter and Moped Accidents in Miami?

Liability in any Florida vehicle accident case, including those related to scooter and moped accidents, will depend largely on the particular circumstances surrounding the accident. Typically, the driver who negligently operated his or her vehicle would be to blame in a personal injury lawsuit related to a scooter or moped accident. Vehicle owners may also be legally and financially responsible. Liability in e-scooters cases can be more complicated.

Multiple personal injury claims have been made against electronic scooter rental companies for failing to provide helmets with the scooters they offer. E-scooter rental companies may also be legally and financially responsible if any equipment or safety features (e.g. brakes) on an e-scooter fails, is in a state of disrepair, or otherwise causes or contributes to an injury.

Our Florida Office Locations

Viñas & DeLuca is headquartered in Miami, Florida and has offices available for consultation in Miami, Boca Raton/Palm Beach, and Tampa. We have handled cases in multiple state and federal jurisdictions throughout Florida. Click here for more information.

Contact a Miami Scooter Accident Attorney

If you or a loved one were injured in a Florida vehicle accident, contact Viñas & DeLuca for a free and confidential consultation by calling (305) 372-3650. Or, you can complete our Free Case Evaluation Form or easily chat with us online and one of our attorneys will contact you right away. We are here 24/7/365 to speak with you and answer your questions. If you cannot come to us, we will come to you.