MIAMI SCOOTER ACCIDENT LAWYER
Have you been injured in a scooter accident in Miami, Florida? Contact our Miami law office by calling us at 305-487-8615 to schedule your free case review with a Miami scooter accident lawyer to discuss how we can help. The Soffer Firm Injury Attorneys has represented injured scooter riders in Miami-Dade County for 15+ years.
With the swelling population in the South Beach, Miami-Dade area, the people are looking for ways to cope up with the increasing volume of traffic. Avoiding rush hours, leaving earlier than usual, or eating your breakfast while on the way are some of the things we do just to arrive at our destinations on time. Many are involved in this situation, such as tourists, locals, diplomats, media people, and many more. The saturation in the roads increases the likelihood of using smaller transport items like scooters.
Scooters and motor scooters are best used for short to medium-length trips – let’s say a 5-10 mile ride. It is convenient and keeps the schedule tight despite heavy traffic. But, on the downside, it is not so safe. Scooters cannot offer the protection that any four-wheel car can offer. You can wear protective gear, but the risk is always higher since your body is more exposed and vulnerable.
So, if you are involved in a scooter accident in Miami, call The Soffer Law Firm’s Florida Office and talk to our personal injury lawyer for a free consultation. Learn more about your rights and legal options.
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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FLORIDA'S MOTOR SCOOTER LAW
Florida Statutes Section 316.003(44) states that a “motorized scooter” is any vehicle with three or fewer wheels that cannot move faster than 30mph on level ground and does not have a seat or saddle for the scooter riders. When a similar vehicle has a saddle or seat, it is called a “motor scooter.”
Any vehicle, or in this case a scooter, that does not have a seat or saddle dedicated for the rider, it will not be allowed legally to traverse the sidewalks and the streets. You need to have a license, a registry, and a license plate so you can freely ride and wade through the streets of Miami, Florida, but not on highways.
However, it is considered a moped if its primary source of the exciter is human power or human propulsion, according to the Florida Statutes Section 316.00(4).
COMMON TYPES OF SCOOTER ACCIDENTS
Like motorcycles, motor scooters are also one of the most vulnerable vehicles on the road. The cases of scooter and moped accidents are higher presently than in previous years.
Since they are smaller, many drivers often overlook these transports. Failing to see moped or scooters increases the chances of moped and scooter accidents like left-turn accidents, right-turn accidents, and intersection collisions in Miami.
In parallel to the ballooning traffic situation in Miami, the vehicles tend to drive much closer to each other.
The distance or gaps between vehicles are smaller than in previous years, resulting in more rear-ended accidents.
This also applies to the scooter and moped riders; they are slow relative to the vehicles on their side. Hence, the cause of moped or scooter accidents. Drivers become unaware of keeping distance, especially when they will brake.
COMMON INJURIES RESULTING FROM A SCOOTER ACCIDENT
Serious injuries incurred from a scooter and moped accident vary depending on the accident’s severity and how the accident took place. Some of the common types of personal injuries a scooter rider can sustain as a direct result of a collision are as follows:
- Skull Fractures
- Bone Fractures
- Broken Bones
- Head Injuries, including fractures, lacerations, and abrasions
- Soft Tissue Injuries
COMPENSATORY DAMAGES AVAILABLE TO SCOOTER ACCIDENT VICTIMS
Suppose you have been badly injured in an accident involving a scooter or electric scooter caused by a negligent driver. In that case, Miami allows you to recover damages related to your physical injury through a personal injury lawsuit. A personal injury case can be established that someone else was liable for your serious injuries. With that, Miami allows the recovery of economic and non-economic damages through the personal injury claims process. Economic damages involve personal money expenses that were incurred as a result of the accident.
Examples of these damages include but are not limited to:
- Medical Expenses
- Loss of Future Earning Capacity
- Lost Wages resulting from being seriously injured to work or missing work to proceed with an injury-related appointment
- The total cost of repairing or replacing personal property that was damaged in the moped and scooter accident.
- Physical Pain and Suffering
- Loss of Consortium, damage recovered on behalf of the injured person’s spouse due to physical intimacy and companionship loss.
THINGS YOU SHOULD DO AFTER YOUR SCOOTER ACCIDENT IN MIAMI
The first thing you should do is seek immediate medical attention, even if your injuries are not that serious. You should see a doctor and prevent serious injuries because some present injuries have delayed symptoms.
Here are some tips:
- Collect Pieces of Evidence: While at the accident scene, injury victims should collect evidence as much as possible. That includes photos of the location and the damage to other vehicles involved.
- If an officer arrives at the scene and writes a report about the accident, get the officer’s name and badge number, and ask when you can have a copy of the report.
- Do not give statements to the at-fault party, especially to their insurance companies without contacting a scooter injury lawyer. Insurance companies tend to get accident victims to insinuate that they may have liability for their injuries.
- Speak to an experienced scooter crash attorney who can guide you on your next steps in starting a litigation process through a scooter accident lawsuit.
THINGS TO DO TO AVOID A SCOOTER ACCIDENT
It is easy to prevent moped and scooter accidents since Miami streets are considerably larger than others. You can prevent accidents from happening by taking these steps:
- Always wear a helmet
- Always check your scooter like brakes, wheels, etc. before riding it
- Take a test ride in an uncrowded area to familiarize yourself with how to operate the scooter before using it
- Know the laws and traffic patterns in the municipality where you are riding. If scooters are prohibited on the sidewalks, don’t ride where you might hit the pedestrians.
- Always ride by yourself
- Avoid risky behaviors and be a responsible rider
- Properly park your scooter when you are done using it.
HIRE A MIAMI SCOOTER ACCIDENT LAWYER AT THE SOFFER FIRM MIAMI PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEYS
At The Soffer Firm, we value you, and we stay true to our professional attorney-client relationship. When you work with us, you are family. Our personal injury attorney will represent you in getting the compensation you deserve from the injury you sustained. From help with medical appointments to helping with your moped accidents, we are here for you. Our legal team offers free consultation and respect confidential or sensitive information about the accident.
MIAMI SCOOTER ACCIDENT FAQs
Some individuals and entities may face liability for an accident involving a moped scooter, including:
• A negligent driver struck the scooter while it was being operated in a place where scooters are permitted.
• A scooter company that provided you with a faulty scooter.
• The distributor or manufacturer of defective scooter parts.
• The scooter rider
• The government agency tasked with maintaining the sidewalk or roadway where the scooter is legally permitted to ride.
Liability is proven through establishing the following elements:
• The at-fault party owed you a duty of care.
• The at-fault party has broken the duty of care.
• The breach led to the accident that caused your injuries and expenses to impact your life.
Yes, you can. While the at-fault party’s insurance company will argue that a helmet would have helped make your personal injury less severe, it does not remove the liability of the at-fault party for causing the accident. Regardless of the liability issue, we recommend helmet use every time you ride your scooter.
A Miami accident attorney works to ensure that they serve clients accordingly, and those who need their services will receive them. The Soffer Law Firm provides free case evaluations. Our attorneys work on a contingency fee basis. We will not charge you for your attorney’s services unless we are successful in your case.
You need an attorney to provide you with representation and guidance in your case. Scooter accidents are complicated and feature a lot of court formalities, deadlines, and other issues that only an experienced attorney can crack.
INJURED IN A SCOOTER ACCIDENT? OUR MIAMI SCOOTER ACCIDENT ATTORNEY CAN HELP YOU
If you are a scooter or moped rider suffering from a debilitating and serious injury due to a scooter or moped accident, regardless of the type and severity of the injury, The Soffer Firm, as the top scooter accident law firm in Miami, is here to fight for your right to receive compensation. Call us at 305-487-8615 to schedule a free consultation.