Electric bicycles and scooters are becoming a more popular form of transportation in Minnesota and across the country, so it should come as no surprise that the injury rates associated with these devices have also skyrocketed. You don’t need a special license or any formal training in order to hop on an e-bike or cruise around on an electric scooter, and this unfamiliarity combined with faster speeds than you could achieve with their human-powered counterparts greatly ratchets up the injury risk.
If you or someone you know has been injured on an e-bike or e-scooter, consider having them reach out to an experienced injury team like the one you’ll find at Margolis Law Firm. In today’s blog, we explore how you can get compensation if you are injured on an electric bike or scooter in Minnesota.
E-Bike Injuries In Minnesota
For starters, if you are going to be riding on an e-bike or an e-scooter in Minnesota, make sure to wear a helmet and be aware of your surroundings. Working to prevent a major injury is much preferred than attempting to seek compensation for injuries after an accident occurs.
When it comes to pursuing injury compensation after an electric bike or scooter accident, know that Minnesota views these accidents through the lens of comparative fault. What this means is that your role in the accident will be scrutinized to determine if you are eligible for injury compensation, and if there are limitations on how much you can collect. For example, in a comparative fault state like Minnesota, you cannot be the biggest “cause” of the accident. If you were looking at your phone while on an e-bike and ran a red light before being struck by a vehicle, you will be given a comparative fault percentage that is higher than 50%, meaning you were the primary agent of chaos, and thus you would not be eligible to sue someone else for your injuries. If you are deemed to be more than 50% at fault for the accident, you are ineligible for personal injury compensation in Minnesota.
It’s certainly possible that someone else will be 100% at fault for your accident. Perhaps they were driving distracted or they simply failed to notice you riding legally in a bike lane. If you’re 0% at fault, you will be able to collect full and complete compensation for your injuries. This means that if you incurred $10,000 in medical bills, you could receive that full amount when collecting medical expenses through a personal injury lawsuit.
However, let’s say a court determined you were 20% at fault for the accident, and the driver was 80% liable. Using the same $10,000 example above, you would only be entitled to collect 80% of your medical expenses in this scenario, since you were 20% at fault. This means you could collect $8,000 for your medical expenses. Comparative fault will likely be at the center of your e-bike and e-scooter injury case.
This is why it is so important to connect with a lawyer with a vast amount of experience navigating the comparative fault world. We know how to showcase that the other party was at fault and limit your role in the accident to earn a favorable comparative fault rating, ensuring you get all the money you’re entitled to receive. Know that the driver’s insurance company will have lawyers working hard to limit their client’s liability (and in turn, their own), so you need to have a professional in your corner as well. Dean and the team at Margolis Law Firm have won many favorable comparative fault ratings for electric bike, electric scooter and pedestrian accidents, and we can do the same for you.
E-bike and e-scooter injuries can be devastating, and even just a few percentage point differences in your fault rating can cost you thousands of dollars or more, so don’t leave your compensation up to chance. Instead, connect with Dean and the legal minds at Margolis Law Firm to keep your interests protected while you work on recovering from your injuries. From medical bills to lost wages and more, we’ll do everything we can to get you the compensation you deserve after an e-bike accident. For more information, or to share with us the details of your injury case to see if you may have a valid claim, reach out to the team at Margolis Law Firm today at (952) 230-2700.
