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ACCIDENTS INVOLVING SCOOTERS AND BICYCLES
July 18, 2019

How Do Personal Injury Attorneys in Chicago Handle Accidents Involving Scooters and Bicycles?

One of the most common forms of personal injury cases happens when someone is on or near the roads, and they get hit by some kind of other vehicle. This can involve automobiles, bicycles, motorcycles, scooters, trains, and other forms of transportation. An experienced injury attorney has a number of ways they can use the principles of negligence cases to help hurt clients receive the most compensation allowed by law after an accident.

A cyclist in riding through the Wicker Park area of Chicago was hit by someone riding an electric scooter and sustained severe injuries.

Local tattoo artist severely injured by an electric scooter
while biking home

The 32 year old male victim is a tattoo artist in the area. He was on his way home from work when the incident occurred. Someone riding an electric scooter in the wrong direction on the road collided with his bicycle at about 5:30pm on North Leavitt Street. At the time of the news report, there were no known citations or criminal charges given to the scooter rider that caused the accident.

The victim was taken to Stroger Hospital where the trauma unit gave him 20 stitches, treatment for a broken nose, broken jaw, excess air cavity in his chest, and other injuries. A funding page featuring the bloody scene of the accident and photos of the victim in the hospital has already received significant financial support.

Many people around the city of Chicago have also expressed concerns about the dangers of the electric scooters that are now being used in the area. Well over 2000 of these scooters are now being used regularly and it remains to be seen if they will cause even more problems.

While it will take time to recover and resume life as normal, an attorney can do a number of things for someone injured in this manner.

Who may be at fault?

The first is to consider that a number of different parties may be partially or totally at fault for this accident. As a general rule of procedure, civil cases often attach a number of different parties who may be at fault at the beginning of the lawsuit, and then some of them may drop off if evidence emerges that shows they cannot be held responsible.

The road should be maintained and marked in a safe manner. This responsibility would usually fall upon the city or any construction crews who were working in the area. If there were any issues with the signage, markings on the road, or other problems, they may have been negligent and can be joined in the lawsuit.

The scooter rider is the most obvious target in this incident. The fact that they were driving the wrong way on the road in violation of local traffic laws is clear evidence of negligence. They can be held personally responsible, and there may be scooter rental companies in the city that have insurance to cover these kinds of incidents.

Manufacturers of electronic scooters also bear a certain level of responsibility for their products. While these are fairly new, the law makes manufacturers answer for any injuries caused by products that they inject into the stream of commerce. If the scooters are defective due to manufacturing or design problems, or they are simply dangerous to use without adequate warnings or regulations, accidents such as this are at least partially their fault.

What expenses will be paid out?

In a case like the one recounted in the news story above, the responsible party
(or multiple parties) would be responsible for expenses related to the accident. This would include the victim’s hospital stay and continued treatment. Medical bills for broken bones and the other health problems mentioned can total thousands of dollars. Because the victim is a tattoo artist who relies on hand and eye coordination, he will not likely be able to work while he is recovering. Anyone who is found to be responsible may also have to cover his wages for weeks or months while he is out of work due to their negligence.

Most personal injury lawyers will know which avenue to pursue to make sure the party with the best ability to pay is held responsible. They can also make the right arguments to maximize the damages related to these injuries.

Get help from a lawyer after your accident

If you have been injured on the roads in Chicago or any nearby areas, contact Budin Law Offices. Whether you are a cyclist, motorist, or scooter rider, John Budin can provide solutions that will help you collect money after an injury. Free consultations are available at the start of every case and clients do not pay unless the firm wins money on your behalf.

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