What Does the New E-scooter Bill Mean?
California’s legislators are enacting a new bill that requires scooter companies to carry $1 million in insurance for electric scooter accidents. It’s terrific news for scooter accident victims! Now there’s a pool of insurance funds you can tap into after being injured in a scooter accident.
However, there is a bit of bad news. AB 1286 was amended and weakened somewhat just before going to the California Senate, where it’s expected to pass into law.
No Liability Waiver
Bird, Lime, and Uber fought a specific item in the bill that would have prevented e-scooter companies from requiring users to sign “no liability” waivers. This means if you’re injured in a scooter accident, you can’t pin the blame on an e-scooter company because their rider waiver protects them.
After a scooter-related injury, you’ll have to pursue the insurance company and/or individually sue the person who hurt you. But at least there’s a $1 million policy available that wasn’t required before.
These Companies Have a Long History of Fighting New Laws
It’s not surprising that Bird, Lime, and Uber resisted California’s effort to hold them more accountable for road accidents. After all, Uber and uses the obscure Footnote 42 to hide safety reports from the public!
It seems that these companies prefer to operate in California with as little regulation as possible. When you’re injured on a scooter, a company like Bird or Lime wants to be able to say, “Not it!” and avoid paying your bills.
In fact, e-scooter companies were so against the passage of AB 1286, they threatened to leave California if the bill forbade them from using liability waivers. California lawmakers, worried about the environmental and economic impacts of losing e-scooters across the state, gave in. They modified the bill to delete the waiver restriction but kept the insurance requirement.
How to Use the New E-scooter Bill to Your Benefit
Although the new law allows e-scooter companies to free themselves of responsibility for accidents, it doesn’t prevent you from making an insurance claim or suing someone. You have a legal right to pursue compensation with the help of a lawyer.
Sure, e-scooter companies have a history of fighting regulations, but here at Sally Morin Personal injury Lawyers, we have a MUCH longer history of standing up for injured people. Before scooters were ever invented, we already had decades of combined legal experience and success with personal injury cases.
This is the most important thing for you to know about the new e-scooter bill:
It requires scooter companies to have $1 million in insurance for scooter accidents with injuries. But it won’t be easy to get them to pay up!
That’s why you need a personal injury lawyer by your side after an e-scooter accident. Your lawyer starts an investigation into what happened, looks out for your best interests, and helps you understand your compensation options.
We Secured $100,000 for an Injured Scooter Passenger
One of our clients in San Diego was the passenger on the back of a scooter when a car clipped the tail end of the scooter and sent its riders into a horrible crash. Even worse, the car’s driver fled the scene of the accident and didn’t render aid to the two women lying in the street with severe injuries.
The scooter passenger contacted Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers and we snapped into action on her behalf. We located the hit-and-run driver by gathering witness accounts of the accident, then investigated several avenues of compensation.
A Challenging Case
The insurance company and the California DMV made this a challenging case, but they couldn’t wear us down. We relentlessly worked on behalf of our client and ultimately, we secured $100,000 by proving that uninsured motorist funds should apply to the accident.
If California’s new e-scooter bill had been in effect at the time, our client might have received an even higher level of compensation! We look forward to seeing how AB 1286 will ease the struggles of accident victims and provide full and fair compensation.
“Sally just got me a ton of $$$$$ from a scooter accident that I had two years ago. She is easy to relate with and is “good people.” I thought I would not be able to get much back for this accident because I waited so long, and the specifics of the claim were messy. Despite these complications, she kept us from going to trial as she negotiated with the insurance company like a pro (and got more than I expected). It has been quick and easy and I am so grateful. I am getting a check in record timing! Amazing Attorney…Call her up.” – Nic L.
Experience a serious Scooter accident?
Check out our Scooter Accident Help Page to learn more about how the process works.
We Handle Your Scooter Accident Claim So You Can Focus on Your Life
After an injury, contact the attorneys at Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers. We handle many areas of the law, including scooter accidents. We believe you should be able to focus on recovering while we handle the legal details.
We truly care about the people of San Jose and all of California. Contact us today for a free online case evaluation.
