South Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Blog
In Florida, transportation by bike or scooter is popular and widely utilized by many commuters, tourists, and those looking for an inexpensive way to get around. As a result, Florida continues to lead the nation as a state with one of the highest rates of bicycle crashes every year. Similar to motorists, individuals involved in a Florida bike accident can file a personal injury lawsuit for the injuries they suffered because of another driver or cyclist’s negligence. According to statistics gathered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Florida has over 100 bicycle-related fatalities every year, which is almost double the national rate.
Florida bicyclists must follow the state’s bike rider requirements. Some requirements include following all traffic laws that apply to motor vehicles, restricting the use of their bike to only one person on a seat, and ensuring that the bike is in proper working condition. Adherence to traffic laws is paramount as the likelihood, and degree of injury to unsafe cyclists is much more severe than that of a motorist.
With the rise in bike-sharing, more inexperienced bicyclists are on the road, and this can cause devastating consequences to the rider, pedestrians, and motorists. Bike-sharing companies usually use a docking system, and riders obtain bikes and return them to the docking station at a later time. However, recently, non-docking scooters and bike-sharing systems have become more prevalent. This allows riders to leave their bikes or scooters at various locations.
Although bike and scooter sharing is an environmental and health-friendly commuting option, there are many issues with these services. Many of these bikes do not come with helmets, some of the riders are inexperienced, and there can be issues with maintenance and safety of the bike or scooter. In fact, recently, a Florida city enacted an ordinance that prohibits the rental of scooters. The city proposed and approved the ordinance after experiencing a rise in dangerous and inexperienced riders throughout the city. A scooter sharing company filed a dispute arguing that the mandate is arbitrary. Ultimately, the court held that the city was within its right to restrict motorized scooters as its purpose was to regulate traffic. This shows the dangers of Florida scooter shares, and calls their continued viability into question.
Have You Suffered Injuries in a Florida Bike or Scooter Sharing Accident?
If you or a loved one sustained injuries while riding a shared bike or because of a cyclist, you should contact the experienced Florida accident attorneys at Friedman, Rodman, & Frank, P.A. The attorneys at our law firm have significant experience handling various types of personal injury lawsuits. We have represented clients that have suffered injuries in all types of Florida scooter accidents, as well as bike accidents, car crashes, and motorcycle wrecks. We understand the challenges that these lawsuits pose and have consistently overcome the difficulties that these cases typically present. Our attorneys routinely recover substantial settlements and damages awards for our clients. Contact our law firm at 877-448-8585 to speak with one of our Florida accident attorneys.