Last week, eight plaintiffs filed a class-action lawsuit in California against some of the nation’s largest electric scooter companies, including LimeBike and Bird Rides Inc. The plaintiffs include three pedestrians who claim to have been hit from behind by users of the scooters. One of the plaintiffs is a 62-year-old man who claims to have suffered a fractured arm and severed bicep after being struck by an electric scooter earlier this year.
The lawsuit accuses the companies of “gross negligence” and “aiding and abetting assault.” According to the lawsuit, the companies have contributed to injuries by “dumping” scooters on public streets with defective parts and inadequate warnings. The lawsuit further alleges that the scooter companies assisted and encouraged riders in committing “assaults” because they knew their riders were causing injuries to pedestrians but failed to prevent the collisions.
The lawsuit comes at a time when the use of electric scooters is on the rise in several cities around the country. In fact, Uber and Lyft both introduced their own scooters in California and the District of Columbia several weeks ago. The rise in the use of electric scooters has been met with concerns regarding the safety of these devices for riders and pedestrians. Several cities are considering establishing new laws and regulations to address these concerns. While it is unclear how the California lawsuit will impact these efforts, it is clear that electric scooter companies will face additional lawsuits in the future as more individuals use their scooters, resulting in injuries to themselves and others.
If you or someone you know has been injured by an electric scooter, contact an attorney at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner by calling 713-231-9360 or 1-888-229-5094.