Portland E-Scooter Accident Lawyers
Find a scooter, pick it up. All you need is an app and a credit card, and you are on your way. Electric scooters (e-scooters) are a fun and popular way to get around Portland for tourists and residents alike. But they aren’t without risks. Because Oregon prohibits riding on the sidewalk, e-scooter operators risk getting hit by cars on the street. In a collision with an automobile, the scooter rider is likely to suffer serious injuries, despite Oregon law requiring helmets for scooter riders. Pedestrians and cyclists also face risks of tripping over scooters carelessly laid on the curb or sidewalk, and scooters left in the street can cause crashes when cars swerve to avoid the obstacle. Pedestrians can also get hit by scooter operators who ride on the sidewalk or in crosswalks in violation of Oregon law.
If you’ve been injured in a collision with a negligent driver while riding your scooter, if you lost a loved one in a fatal crash, or if you were hurt because of a scooter operator’s negligence, the Portland injury attorneys at Rosenbaum Law Group can help. We are a leading Portland auto accident and injury law firm, devoted to helping injury victims and their families through difficult times and getting them the results they need. Contact our dedicated Portland e-scooter accident lawyers today.
E-Scooter Accidents and Injuries
The types of accidents and injuries associated with e-scooters are legion; they range from painful and inconvenient to catastrophic, permanently disabling, and even fatal. Some of the e-scooter accidents and injuries our firm is equipped to deal with include:
Tripping over a scooter negligently left on the sidewalk
Injuries can include back injury, head injury, broken wrist, twisted ankle, strains, sprains, facial cuts, scrapes, and bruises. Thanks to the app-based functionality of e-scooters, it should be possible to track down the last user who abandoned the scooter and hold them accountable for their carelessness.
Driving over a scooter left in the street or crashing into another car or fixed object in an emergency maneuver to avoid the scooter
Depending upon factors such as speed and angle of impact, injuries can be severe. The motor vehicle driver could be considered at least partially responsible for causing this sort of accident, which could reduce the value of their claim or defeat it entirely. If the driver hits a pedestrian, cyclist, or other vehicle, that victim could have a claim against the potentially negligent driver as well as the person who abandoned the scooter in the street.
The occupant of a vehicle parked on the street negligently opens their door into a bike lane and strikes a person riding an oncoming scooter
This type of accident happens frequently to bicyclists and is commonly known as getting “doored.” Since e-scooters are required to operate in the bike lane, they are susceptible to the same type of accident and serious injury.
A scooter collides with a pedestrian on a sidewalk or in a crosswalk
It is illegal to operate a scooter in both places, so the operator could potentially be held negligent per se and found at fault for causing the accident by violating this safety law.
A scooter and motor vehicle collide
Although the scooter rider is at greater risk of serious or even fatal injury, either party could get hurt in such a crash. Either or both parties could bear some blame for causing the accident. Under Oregon law, an injury victim only has a claim if they are 50% or less at fault. Common driving mistakes that cause e-scooter accidents include distracted driving, drunk driving, speeding, and aggressive behavior such as squeezing or brushing the e-scooter out of their lane, or dangerously whipping around the e-scooter in an aggressive passing maneuver.
Portland and Oregon E-Scooter Laws
Most of the laws regulating e-scooters come from the Oregon Vehicle Code and apply statewide. An electric scooter is a mode of transportation that has handlebars and a floorboard that is designed to be stood upon when riding. It can be propelled either by an electric motor or human propulsion, and a digital application or platform is required to make the vehicle available for commercial use. Currently four different apps/platforms are operating in Portland: Lime, Bird, Spin and Bolt.
E-scooters must have a maximum output of 1,000 watts, and they must not be capable of going faster than 24 mph on level ground. The following are key components of e-scooter laws in the Oregon Vehicle Code:
- One must be 16 years old or older to ride an e-scooter.
- Helmets are required.
- No operator’s license, registration or insurance is required.
- Passengers are not allowed; only solo riding is permitted.
- The scooter must be equipped with lights.
- Scooters may not be operated at speeds faster than 15 mph.
- Riding on the sidewalk is not allowed.
- E-scooters may lawfully be ridden in bike lanes or in vehicle travel lanes. If riding in a travel lane, riding far to the right side of the lane nearest the curb is recommended.
- E-scooters cannot be ridden in crosswalks. Riders should dismount and walk their e-scooters across crosswalks.
- Intoxicated e-scooter operators could be charged with driving under the influence.
- E-scooters should be parked on the sidewalk, close to the curb, or in designated scooter parking areas. Operators can be fined or have their account suspended for parking in a way that blocks the sidewalk, curb ramps, bike lanes or vehicle travel lanes.
- E-scooters should yield to pedestrians where applicable.
The Oregon law allows for local jurisdictions to make further restrictions regarding e-scooters, and Portland has done so on a limited basis. The Portland City Code prohibits the use of e-scooters in Portland parks, including Waterfront Park, the Eastbank Esplanade, and the Springwater Corridor Trail.
Contact the Rosenbaum Law Group Today
If you have been injured in an e-scooter accident in Portland, or if you lost a loved one in a fatal scooter crash caused by the negligence of another, the Rosenbaum Law Group, PC, can help you get justice and compensation for the harm done. Call our dedicated Portland e-scooter accident lawyers today.
