What Should You Do If You Have Been Injured in an Accident with an E-Scooter?
As you may have noticed, e-scooters are becoming ever more prevalent in Australian society. The technology is relatively new, but the scooters themselves are very fashionable, so many of them are being bought for younger people at Christmas time or as a birthday present. Unfortunately, the growing number of scooters in your area may lead to issues, especially when there is a collision of some kind. What do you need to know if you've been involved in an altercation with one of these scooters and have been injured as a consequence?
State Regulation
The first thing to remember is that regulation varies across the country. You need to check what the rules are with regard to these e-scooters in your state or territory to see whether they are, indeed, permitted. After all, some places only allow them to be ridden on private property, while other rules have the effect of pushing them onto the footpath instead. It is little surprise that, with growing numbers, incidents and accidents can happen.
Policy Requirements
Of course, an operator of a motorised vehicle is duty bound by law to have a public liability insurance policy in place at all times. If an accident does happen then, a plaintiff can pursue the insurance company for a settlement. Yet, the operator of an e-scooter may not have an insurance policy in place. Many riders may not realise the potential liability and may not have thought about the consequences should they run into somebody else.
Determining Liability
Unfortunately, this can happen, and liability may be an issue when it does. If the rider in question did not have a specific insurance policy, they might get some coverage through their home and contents insurance.
Other Paths for Compensation
It might be possible to pursue the landowner in some circumstances if the accident was down to poor road maintenance. It may also be feasible to pursue the e-scooter manufacturer if a mechanical fault of some kind had contributed to the accident.
You should also determine if the rider was using their own scooter or whether they had hired it from a sharing service, as these are becoming popular. In this case, it may be possible to seek personal injury compensation from the service provider, depending on their agreement with the end-user.
Seeking Advice
As this is still an emerging area, you will need to seek some advice before you can proceed. Talk with a solicitor specialising in personal injury law to get their support.
For more information, contact a personal injury lawyer near you.
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