Tampa Electric Scooter Accident Lawyer

Were you or a loved one hurt in an electric scooter accident in Tampa, FL? You could be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. A Tampa electric scooter accident lawyer at Catania and Catania Injury Lawyers can fight to make sure you aren’t leaving money on the table after your accident.

Since 1992, our clients have trusted us to provide quality legal representation for them and their families. We’ve proven our value by recovering over $500 million for our injured clients over the years.

If you were hurt, help is just a phone call away. Contact our law offices in Tampa, Florida, or call us at (813) 222-8656, to schedule a free consultation today.

How Catania & Catania Injury Lawyers Can Help After an Electric Scooter Accident in Tampa

How Catania and Catania Injury Lawyers Can Help After an Electric Scooter Accident in Tampa

E-scooters are more popular than ever. Still, they’re a relatively new form of transportation on the streets of Tampa. If you’re hurt in an accident involving an electric scooter, you may not know where to look for compensation.

Our personal injury attorneys in Tampa can help. We have over 28 years of experience fighting for our clients. We’re well-equipped to take on the insurance companies and defense lawyers who might try to undervalue or deny your claim.

When you hire us, you can count on your lawyer to:

  • Launch a detailed investigation into your e-scooter accident
  • Find out who was responsible for the accident
  • Defend you if the insurance company tries to blame you
  • Negotiate the maximum settlement available in your case

Recovering compensation after an accident usually isn’t easy. A Tampa personal injury attorney with experience handling these types of accidents can make or break your case.

Our team has a reputation for winning cases across the Tampa Bay area. If you were injured, don’t hesitate to reach out and schedule a free case evaluation today.

How Common Are Electric Scooter Accidents in Tampa?

Over the past decade, the popularity of electric scooters has surged in the U.S. Electric scooter companies like Bird, Lyme, HOPR, and SPIN have started to offer e-scooter rentals in Tampa and across the nation. In 2018, Americans took 38.5 million rides on “shared” electric scooters.

Electric scooter injuries are also on the rise. More than 40,000 people sustained injuries in electric scooter accidents during a recent four-year period.

E-scooters are relatively new to the Tampa area. Still, more than 250,000 people had taken e-scooter rides in Tampa by 2019. At least one Tampa-area e-scooter fatality has been reported.

What is My Tampa Electric Scooter Accident Case Worth?

Our lawyers take a detailed approach in determining what your case is worth. We’ll work closely with you and your family to analyze how the accident and injuries have impacted your life.

Important factors in valuing a personal injury case in Tampa include:

  • The nature and severity of your injuries
  • Whether you’re expected to fully recover
  • The cost of your medical treatment and out-of-pocket expenses
  • The impact of the accident on your career or education
  • How your daily life has changed because of the injury

Money can never really make you whole after a serious injury, but financial compensation can help you get back on your feet again. For most victims, it’s critical to get every dollar available. We’re here to help you fight for what’s fair.

What Types of Damages Are Available to Electric Scooter Accident Victims?

Accident victims in Tampa are entitled to two forms of compensatory damages: economic damages and non-economic damages.

Economic damages are your financial losses, such as:

  • Past and future medical expenses
  • Emergency room costs
  • Lost wages and income
  • Lost future earning capacity
  • Rehabilitation
  • In-home assistance
  • Property damage
  • Any other out-of-pocket costs you’ve incurred because of your injuries

It’s relatively easy to add up your economic damages using receipts and other documentation. Non-economic damages can be more difficult to calculate. 

Non-economic damages compensate victims for:

You might wonder how it’s possible to put a price tag on these types of losses. An experienced attorney can help. Depending upon the circumstances, we might also bring in experts to help us better understand your losses. 

Can I Recover Damages If I’m Being Blamed for an Electric Scooter Accident in Florida?

In Florida, multiple parties can be held liable after an accident. This is because Florida follows a comparative fault law. Victims can recover damages even if they were partly to blame for their injuries–so long as someone else was also at-fault.

It’s important to understand the shared fault laws; your final compensation award can be reduced to account for your share of the blame.

Insurance companies know that. They might go to great lengths to prove your actions contributed to the accident. If you’re being blamed for an e-scooter accident, we highly recommend speaking with an experienced attorney who can help you minimize the impact of the shared responsibility laws.  

We’ll Fight to Recover Compensation for All of Your Electric Scooter Accident Injuries

Electric scooter riders aren’t required to wear helmets under Tampa law. These scooters offer very little protection in a crash–especially in a car accident.

That means electric scooter accident injuries have the potential to be severe. At Catania and Catania Injury Lawyers, we’ll fight to recover full compensation for all of your injuries. 

Some common injuries sustained in electric scooter accidents include:

Electric scooters can be fun, but they aren’t always the safest way to get around Tampa. If you were a victim or are suffering after the wrongful death of a loved one, call our law firm today. We’d be happy to schedule a free consultation to discuss your legal options.

What Causes Most Electric Scooter Accidents in Tampa, Florida?

Motorized scooters are classified as motorcycles under Florida law. They’re subject to certain rules and regulations. For example, the city of Tampa requires drivers to be at least 16 years old and have a valid driver’s license to operate an e-scooter.

However, as the pilot program in Tampa has shown, not all riders operate their vehicles carefully. Many different factors can cause an electric scooter accident. 

Some of the leading causes include:

  • Driver inexperience
  • Reckless driving, whether by an e-scooter driver or someone in a motor vehicle
  • Speeding
  • Riding double on the electric scooter
  • Riding the e-scooter in prohibited areas
  • Parking the scooter where others might slip and fall over it
  • Failure to yield the right of way
  • Defective scooter components, including faulty brakes or batteries
  • Uneven pavement on the sidewalk or roads
  • Lack of infrastructure
  • Dooring (getting hit by a car door while driving by)
  • Drunk driving or impaired driving
  • Poor lighting or bad weather 

Electric scooter accidents can involve collisions with cars, pedestrians, bicyclists, or even other scooter riders. If you were involved in an e-scooter accident in Tampa, our lawyers can help you prove what happened. Call today to schedule a free case review to learn more.

How Do I Prove Negligence After an Electric Scooter Accident in Florida? 

To recover damages, you’ll have to identify the person or party responsible for your accident. From a legal perspective, that usually requires proving negligence. 

Negligence means:

  • The at-fault party owed you a legal duty of care
  • A breach of duty occurred
  • The breach caused your accident
  • You sustained damages in the form of physical injuries, emotional suffering, or financial losses

Several types of evidence can be used to support your personal injury claim. 

Our Tampa scooter accident lawyers will work to locate the strongest evidence possible in your case, including:

  • Any police or accident reports
  • Video surveillance footage
  • Eyewitness testimony
  • Photographs

However, if the scooter itself was defective, you may have a strict liability claim against the product manufacturer. In those cases, you aren’t required to prove negligence. You can recover damages by identifying the defect in the equipment that caused your injuries. 

You may have a long recovery road ahead. Let our lawyers take the lead on your personal injury case. We work on a contingency fee basis so that you can get the legal advice you deserve without worrying about up-front costs. 

How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After an Electric Scooter Accident in Florida?

Florida state law gives accident victims two years to file a personal injury lawsuit. The statute of limitations in product liability cases is also four years.

The clock usually starts ticking on the date of your accident. If you miss the deadline, you’ll forfeit your right to compensation.

Contact a Tampa Electric Scooter Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation

Were you or a loved one injured in an electric scooter accident? A Tampa electric scooter accident lawyer at Catania and Catania Injury Lawyers can help you recover the fair compensation you need. Call our law offices to schedule your free initial consultation today.

Our Tampa, FL personal injury law firm also provides: