Electric scooters were recently introduced in Fort Lauderdale. Then followed a scooter ban from Fort Lauderdale Beach during spring break. Then there was a debate about banning them from the city completely. And finally, a decision was made to allow them to continue operating on Fort Lauderdale sidewalks. No, the transition to electric scooters in Fort Lauderdale has not been easy and it seems as though a lot of issues should have been ironed out prior to the city contracting with electric scooter companies. As Fort Lauderdale bird scooter accident lawyers know, serious injuries are frequently sustained in electric scooter accidents and as of April 11, 2019, Fort Lauderdale has seen its first electric scooter accident fatality.
The scooter rider who lost his life in an accident on April 11th was riding a rented electric scooter on North Federal Highway when he was struck and killed by an automobile. In December, a 14-year-old boy on a scooter was struck by an automobile and suffered critical injuries in an accident that occurred one block away from the recent fatal accident. Another rider was struck by an automobile in December and injuries left the scooter rider in a coma for at least six weeks. Scooter accident injuries can be extremely serious and unfortunately, this recent fatal accident calls attention to the risks and dangers that come along with electric scooter operation.
Currently, Florida law does not permit electric scooters to operate on Florida roadways. This leaves municipalities with the decision to permit electric scooters to operate on sidewalks with pedestrians or ban them from operating in the municipality entirely. The state is reportedly working on legislation to allow scooter operation in bicycle lanes, but for now, that is not an option. Putting electric scooters that travel at high rates of speeds on the same sidewalks with pedestrians is not an ideal solution. Fort Lauderdale contracts with Bird and three other electric scooter companies – Lime, Bolt, and Gotcha. With four companies operating within the city limits, electric scooters are quickly filling up the sidewalks (and sometimes streets) of Fort Lauderdale.
See below for risks and dangers specific to the operation of electric scooters as evidenced by the numerous injuries and accidents that have occurred in the short amount of time that these scooters have been in operation in Fort Lauderdale.
If you or a loved one has sustained injuries in an electric scooter accident caused by someone else’s fault, contact a Fort Lauderdale Bird scooter accident attorney at Vladimir Tsirkin & Associates, P.A. to schedule a consultation. Our attorneys are electric scooter law experts who will work to see that you secure the compensation that you deserve.
