If you’ve been injured while riding an electric scooter in Albuquerque, NM, call Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers. You have certain rights as an accident victim, including the ability to take legal action against a negligent motorist, a government agency, or an e-scooter manufacturer. Our experienced Albuquerque electric scooter accident lawyers can help you fight for a maximum financial recovery.
Since 2011, Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers has been a trusted advocate for injury victims and families in Albuquerque. Our award-winning New Mexico trial attorneys’ collective experience spans more than 55 years. Unafraid to go toe-to-toe with powerful insurance companies and corporations, we’ve recovered over $50 million for our clients.
Now, we’re here to make a difference in your life after your e-scooter crash. Call our law office in Albuquerque, New Mexico, today to get started. Your first consultation is free.
How Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After an Electric Scooter Accident in Albuquerque, NM
What caused your electric scooter accident? Who’s at fault? What kind of evidence will you need to make your case? How can you be sure a settlement offer is fair? What if a motorist or an insurance company tries to blame you for the wreck?
Don’t stress about how to answer these questions. Focus on your recovery and leave the rest to our experienced Albuquerque personal injury lawyers.
At Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers, we’re recognized as leaders in personal injury law by Super Lawyers, the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, and other top organizations. With a 98 percent success rate, we’re known for our ability to make a difference in our clients’ lives by helping them get the financial awards they need and deserve.
When you ask for our help after your electric scooter accident, we will:
- Launch a timely investigation into your accident to fully understand how and why it happened
- Determine who’s liable for your resulting injuries, financial losses, and suffering
- Gather key pieces of evidence needed to build a strong legal claim for damages
- Enlist expert witnesses and specialists to consult on your case
- Calculate what your electric scooter accident case is worth
- Handle all administrative elements of your case, such as filing your complaint with the insurance company and/or local Bernalillo County court
- Work to make the defense offer you a significant settlement during the early stages of the claims process
- Take your electric scooter accident lawsuit to trial if the defense won’t take full responsibility for your injuries
E-scooter crashes can be costly. When you hire our law firm, you won’t have to stress about the added cost of hiring a lawyer. Our Albuquerque personal injury attorneys represent electric scooter accident victims on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing unless we win compensation for your electric scooter accident case.
No win, no fee. That is a promise we can make to you.
Contact our law office in Albuquerque today to schedule a consultation for no charge.
Are Electric Scooters Legal in Albuquerque?
Electric scooters are legal in Albuquerque and throughout the state of New Mexico. While not currently defined by state law, legislation is in the works to better regulate the use of e-scooters.
Under House Bill 282, electric scooters:
- Weigh less than 100 pounds
- Have two or three wheels
- Are equipped with handlebars and a floorboard, which allows riders to stand up while using the vehicle
- Powered solely by an electric motor that can be used with or without human propulsion
- Travel no more than 20 MPH on a level paved surface
Currently, electric scooters are subject to the same laws governing bicycles, meaning riders under 18 are required to wear a helmet.
What Causes Most E-Scooter Accidents?
Scooters can be a great way to get around and explore the city of Albuquerque, but they can also be quite disruptive to traffic. Many times, other motorists on the road aren’t aware that scooters are nearby. All it takes is one simple act of negligence to cause a catastrophic car accident involving a scooter.
Some of the most common causes of accidents with electric scooters include:
- Drunk driving
- Speeding
- Distracted driving
- Failing to leave adequate space between a vehicle and a scooter while passing
- Tailgating
- Fatigued driving
- Illegal turns
- Unsafe lane changes
- Failing to signal before a turn
- Rolling stops
- Running red and yellow lights
- Road defects, including potholes and uneven pavement
- Vehicle defects
Our e-scooter accident attorneys in Albuquerque will carefully evaluate the circumstances of your crash to pinpoint the underlying cause(s). Once we’ve determined why your accident happened, we’ll build a compelling claim that proves your losses and forces those responsible to make things right.
How Common Are Electric Scooter Accidents?
Every year, thousands of people are injured and killed in accidents involving e-scooters across the nation. In fact, between 2017 and 2022, more than 360,000 scooter accident injuries and at least 233 fatalities were reported in the United States.
It appears that scooter accidents are beginning to happen more frequently, with a 20 percent increase reported in 2022.
For many, electric scooter accidents cause severe injuries. One study found that 3,331 e-scooter operators went to the emergency room in a 34-month period between May 2017 and February 2020. This represented a six-fold increase in monthly scooter injuries from August 2018, which was before e-scooter rental services rolled out across most of the nation.
Following a surge in e-scooter rentals, an average of 152.6 injuries were reported each week.
Common Electric Scooter Accident Injuries
According to an analysis of electric scooter rider hospitalizations and emergency room visits, these are the injuries riders suffer in accidents most often:
- Orthopedic injuries
- Fractures and broken bones
- Head injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Concussions
- Thoracic injuries
- Abdominal injuries
Other commonly reported scooter accident injuries include:
- Burn injuries, particularly when an e-scooter catches on fire
- Nerve damage
- Crushing injuries
- Leg injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
- Amputations
- Degloving injuries
- Eye injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death
Report your scooter accident to the Albuquerque Police Department immediately, and then get to the closest hospital for prompt medical treatment. These steps will help to ensure that your injuries and accident are documented thoroughly, which will be crucial when you decide to pursue compensation down the line.
What Damages Can E-Scooter Accident Victims Recover in a New Mexico Personal Injury Claim?
If you’ve suffered injuries in an electric scooter accident in Albuquerque, you’ll have the opportunity to pursue compensatory damages from an insurance company or negligent party.
Compensatory damages, which can include both economic and non-economic awards, can help with:
- Current and future medical bills
- Rehabilitation
- Physical therapy
- Lost wages
- Disability
- Diminished earning capacity
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Property damage
- Nursing care
- Funeral expenses if a scooter accident is fatal
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Disfigurement
- Loss of consortium
- Reduced quality of life
- Chronic physical pain
- Embarrassment
You deserve to make the most of your fight for compensation, which is why our Albuquerque electric scooter accident attorneys will fight to maximize your recovery. We won’t let the defense control the terms of your case or dictate what your e-scooter accident damages are worth. We’ll invest our considerable resources and experience into making sure you’re compensated properly.
Who Could Be Liable For My Electric Scooter Accident?
Whoever causes your electric scooter accident – in whole or in part – can be liable for any resulting damages.
This might include a:
- Driver of a passenger car
- Vehicle passenger
- Mass transportation company
- Bus driver
- Bicyclist
- Pedestrian
- Scooter operator
- Scooter manufacturer
- Government agency
- Property owner
- Negligent party’s employer
Our electric scooter accident lawyers in Albuquerque will not rest until everyone who has caused your injuries is held fully accountable.
How Long Will I Have to File an Electric Scooter Accident Lawsuit in New Mexico?
Once you’ve been hurt in an e-scooter accident in Albuquerque, New Mexico, you’ll have up to three years to seek compensation through insurance or a lawsuit.
The three-year statute of limitations has very few exceptions. Most involve situations when a child is injured in a scooter accident or when a government agency is at fault.
You lose the right to seek damages if you miss the filing deadline. Protect your future by contacting Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers for help immediately after your scooter accident in Albuquerque.
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced Albuquerque Electric Scooter Accident Lawyer
Don’t struggle with the costs and consequences of your recent scooter accident on your own. Hire Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers, and have our award-winning New Mexico trial attorneys fight for the monetary justice you deserve.
Our Albuquerque e-scooter accident lawyers have over 55 years of combined experience and a 98 percent success rate. We know how much is riding on your scooter accident case, and we’re ready to help you make the most of it.
Contact our law office in Albuquerque today to get started. Your first case evaluation with our team is free.
Visit Our Personal Injury Law Office in Albuquerque, NM
Address:
Curiel & Runion Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers
400 Gold Avenue SW Suite 650
Albuquerque, NM 87102
Phone: (505) 594-3621
Hours: Open 24 hours daily
Click here for directions on Google Maps.
