Out there on the road drivers have to contend with other cars, motorcycles, trucks, and a variety of bicycles, mopeds, scooters, as well as pedestrians & pets. For this article on scooters we are not going to discuss the stand-up scooters that kids usually ride and move with foot power, but the larger scooters you see mixed in with traffic on the roads. (like the red one in the picture.) Mopeds have an engine size typically 50 cc or less and a top speed of about 28 mph, while the scooter’s engine size can range from 50 cc to 150 cc, achieving top speeds up to 60 mph.
Scooters are not as popular in the U.S. as they are in Europe and Asia, but in areas with beaches and large numbers of tourists (south Florida) they are very common. There are also a high number of scooters being rented, which means the people operating them are unfamiliar with the scooter, the roads, and there is a higher probability they have been out partying which means they may be under the influence of alcohol.
Florida law does not require insurance for mopeds and scooters, so even though they may seem small and not capable of a lot of damage, that is not true. Scooters often collide with groups of pedestrians and the injuries can be severe, even fatal. When a scooter is rented out, there is often no liability insurance and no head protection offered the rider or passenger. Who is responsible for damage, injuries, and deaths when a moped or scooter causes a serious accident? This can be a complicated question and the answer is not always easy.
It’s possible the driver of the scooter is totally responsible, but there may be some level of fault assigned the other parties to the accident. It’s possible the accident was caused by another driver or any number of circumstances. This is one of the reasons it’s wise to call an experienced accident attorney after an injury, so a thorough investigation can be initiated. In the end, the court may have to decide.
Fort Lauderdale Accident Attorneys
The attorneys at Lazarus Law Firm have helped hundreds of accident victims get the compensation they need to pay medical bills and other expenses while they recover. The process can be confusing which is why we are ready to speak with you when you call us a 954-356-0006 seven days a week. We’ll let you recover while we handle the hard work.
Note: The “other” types of scooters (in the picture to the right) are also very popular and also are very capable of being involved in serious accidents. Right now there is a new company – Bird Scooters – sweeping across the country renting electric scooters and they will likely be in south Florida soon. We’ll be writing about them in the near future.
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