Columbus Scooter Accident Lawyer

It can be easy to suffer injuries in a scooter accident that may leave you hospitalized and facing a long journey to recovery. Our Columbus scooter accident lawyers are ready to take on your case to help recover your losses.

At The Fitch Law Firm LLC, our personal injury attorneys in Columbus will investigate what happened, determine liability, and hold the responsible party liable via an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit. Our team members can discuss your damages with you during a free case consultation. You deserve to receive compensation for your medical treatment, lost income, and pain and suffering. Call us today to find out more.

Scooter Accident Damages You Could Recover

Scooter claims are not the same as traditional motor vehicle claims, so insurance companies might undervalue your claim. In some cases, they may even try to deny it. At times, scooter injuries can be just as severe as major Columbus car accidents.

People who have been injured in electric or motorized scooter accidents could be entitled to many kinds of damages, both financial losses and those affecting their quality of life. These damages can include such things as the following:

• Medical bills, such as emergency care, emergency transport, surgery, ongoing care, physical therapy, medications, assistive devices
• Past and future lost wages
• Lost earning capacity if your injuries require you to take a lower-paying job
• Pain and suffering
• Disability
• Disfigurement
• Mental anguish and emotional distress
• Property damage
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Loss of consortium

An insurance company may be very quick to offer you a low settlement to resolve your case. However, an attorney who knows your case’s fair settlement value can examine the insurance company’s offer and handle your negotiations for reasonable damages. 

You can get started today with a free legal consultation with our scooter injury lawyer serving Columbus.

Types of Scooter Accidents We See in Our Ohio Personal Injury Practice

Some scooter accidents we see our clients suffer from include:

Collisions With Motor Vehicles

Since the average car is much larger than a scooter, the scooter operator can suffer extreme injuries. This is especially true because the scooter operator likely only has a helmet for protection from impact.

Collisions With Pedestrians

An average person not paying attention can easily cause a collision with a scooter, resulting in serious injuries to both parties. Negligence can be more difficult to prove in these cases, especially if the pedestrian claims you were riding where scooters are not permitted.

Accidents Due to Scooter Defects

Some scooter accidents are simply the fault of scooters not functioning properly. For example, Lime scooters had a history of braking unexpectedly and throwing their riders off. These accidents can be very complex and require a rigorous investigation to determine liability.

The liable party can be different in each one of the scenarios listed above. Some cases could even involve multiple defendants other than those listed above. Liability could also fall to: 

• Scooter rental companies: Companies that rent scooters might be liable for accidents caused by failures in maintenance, providing faulty scooters, or not providing adequate safety instructions.
• Other third parties: Other parties, such as construction companies leaving hazards in the road, or businesses that improperly block pathways leading to accidents, can also be held responsible.
• Employers: If the scooter operator or another driver involved in the accident was working at the time, their employer could be liable under certain circumstances.
• Property owners: Owners of private property where the accident occurs might be liable if unsafe conditions on their property caused the accident.

Our team will investigate your crash to determine the liable party or parties in your scooter accident claim.

Your Scooter Accident Case Is Limited by Timelines

There are time limits when it comes to how long a person has to file a scooter accident lawsuit. Ohio Revised Code Section 2305.10 establishes that a person generally has two years from the accident date to file a lawsuit for product liability, bodily injury, or personal property damage. Failure to take action within this time frame can remove your opportunity to seek damages through the court system.

Also, an attorney will need considerable time, usually months, to conduct their own investigation into the accident. People who wait too long to consult a Columbus scooter accident lawyer risk the possibility of their attorney not having enough time to build a case.

When a person is killed due to a scooter accident, the statute of limitations can change. This time change is because the decedent’s date of passing becomes the new cause of action instead of the accident date, per Ohio Revised Code Section 2125.02. Our lawyers can help in this case, as well.

What Is Involved With Proving Fault for a Scooter Wreck?

The proof required for scooter accident damages will depend on the injured party. When a scooter rider is injured because of another party’s negligence, they will have to demonstrate that:

• The other party had a duty of care: Duty of care differs depending on the person. Manufacturers have a duty to create safe products for their customers. Drivers have a duty to keep other road users safe from undue harm.
• The other party violated this duty: Negligent drivers behaving erratically or manufacturers skipping safety tests are examples of violating the duty of care.
• The violation caused an accident: Continuing with the examples, the erratic driver didn’t see the scooter, or the part broke during the vehicle’s operation leading to an accident.
• The accident led to the victim’s injuries: You suffered physical and emotional injuries that led to financial losses, referred to as damages.

A useful tool to demonstrate these elements is a police report. After any injury accident, it is prudent to call the police. The original police report filed at the accident scene will likely be helpful to the personal injury claims process. It provides time, date, contact information, and a third-party perspective of the accident.

Things to Remember After a Columbus Scooter Accident

Every person involved in a scooter accident should seek immediate medical care after the accident. Do this to protect your case and your health. Not all major injuries involve immediate symptoms.

Regardless of how confident you are that somebody else was at fault for your Columbus accident, it might not be in your best interest to speak to any insurance company. Consider letting a scooter accident lawyer speak to an insurer on your behalf. This way, you do not say anything that might ultimately jeopardize your claim.

Learn About The Fitch Law Firm LLC

If you sustained serious injuries in a scooter accident near Columbus, you should contact The Fitch Law Firm LLC as soon as possible. John Fitch is a former president of the Franklin County Trial Lawyers’ Association. He is also a member of the Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America.

Kirstin Peterson received her undergraduate and law degrees from Ohio State University. The Fitch Law Firm LLC is proud to handle cases in Ohio. Between John Fitch and Kirstin Peterson, our firm offers more than three decades of legal experience and is committed to helping our clients get justice.

Our Scooter Accident Attorneys Work on Contingency

After a scooter accident in Columbus, we want you to focus on your recovery, not your financial concerns. Our attorneys work on a contingency fee for that very reason. You pay no upfront fees or costs for us to work to build a solid case on your behalf. Our legal professionals only get paid a percentage of the settlement or court award we obtain for you. So, our team will fight for your right to financial compensation and handle all negotiations with the at-fault party’s insurance company while you rest and heal.

Call The Fitch Law Firm LLC Today So That We Can Begin Working Toward Justice

You have nothing to lose by speaking with our team about your case. The initial consultation to discuss your case will be free. There is no obligation.

Call The Fitch Law Firm LLC today. You don’t have to suffer through this difficult time. We aim to get you compensation after an accident.