With the recent influx of Bird scooters populating the streets and sidewalks of numerous cities across the country, there have been many accidents and questions about the legal consequences of these incidents. Riders are usually curious over what they can do to receive compensation for their damages if they were involved in an accident while on a scooter or because of a scooter. Bird, despite being founded and operated by one of the high-ranking executives behind both Uber and Lyft, has not made it easy for victims to collect compensation in the event of a crash or some other occurrence. There has been a debate regarding the insurance that covers Bird scooter cases and who can be held responsible. Our law group, Normandie Law Firm, has been dealing with Bird scooter accident cases for as long as the company has been operating in California. We have ample experience handling such claims and will be able to help you receive the compensation you deserve if you were involved in an accident with a Bird scooter. Our clients will usually ask us about the insurance details of Bird; they have questions like:
- Does Bird offer Insurance for injuries?
- Does Bird offer medical insurance for accidents that happen on their scooters?
- Does Bird offer insurance for injuries that people sustain on their scooters?
- Who is the insurance company for bird scooter accidents?
Bird Scooter Insurance Information
Bird is an interesting company in that it does not have an insurance company that represents it in the way that Uber has James River Insurance as its provider. Bird is self-insured and can handle claims internally if there are any reports of accidents or malfunctions with any scooters. This can be risky given that some accidents result in debilitating damages, and Bird may try to escape liability. There may simply not be a fair Bird scooter accident insurance policy that could be worthwhile for you.
The Bird scooter insurance for accident cases will only go into effect if the user was not negligent or responsible for the incident. This can be seen in instances where the rider does not wear a helmet or when he rides on the sidewalk wherein the laws specifically prohibit both. It can be hard to get Bird scooter accident insurance if you contributed in any way to an accident.
In the Bird user agreement, it explicitly states that you cannot sue if you were negligent while riding. Therefore, if you were speeding down the wrong side of the street or if you were trying to do tricks with the scooter, Bird is likely not responsible for any injuries.
How Bird Accidents Happen
Accidents with Bird scooters happen for a variety of reasons. As a rider, you could be struck while traveling in a bike lane or while crossing the street. Other drivers may have trouble seeing you, especially in more dense areas or when there is low light, and they could turn or swerve into you, resulting in you being run over or smashed into. In these instances, you will likely pursue a claim against the responsible driver’s insurance company, but you may also wish to file a lawsuit against Bird if the scooter were not properly outfitted with enough lights or if it didn’t have any reflectors on it.
You may also have even riding when something happened that was beyond your control. For instance, the street could have had a pothole or a crack in it that caused the scooter to jerk or lose balance. You may be flung from it and suffer numerous bodily injuries. Additionally, the scooter could have a defect of some kind, such as a broken wheel, faulty brakes, poor electronics, and more. Malfunctioning scooters have caused various crashes, and you could take legal action against Bird if you were hurt. However, if you were not wearing a helmet or if you were riding the scooter in a way that is prohibited by Bird’s rules or state law, you may not be able to receive any compensation if you approach Bird scooter insurance for injuries.
Further, there is the chance that you were injured because of a negligent Bird rider. Pedestrians are often in some kind of danger; there have been cases where pedestrians have been crashed into, but it is equally common for people to trip and fall over discarded scooters. Riders are supposed to place the scooters in specific parking spaces and to keep them out of the path of pedestrians and cars, but this is rare.
For more details on insurance information for Bird scooter accidents, you can call our law firm.
Where Accidents Happen
Bird scooter accidents often happen on the street and on pedestrian walkways. They may also happen in front of businesses and in crowded downtown areas where there is a lot of foot traffic. Some cities in Texas and California where many scooter accidents have happened include:
- Arlington
- Austin
- Dallas
- Plano
- Alameda
- Albany
- Burlingame
- El Cerrito
- Imperial Beach
- Los Angeles
- Santa Monica
- Beverly Hills
- Monrovia
- Mountain View
- National City
- Oakland
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Mateo
- Santa Monica
- San Francisco
- Lake Tahoe
- Walnut Creek
You can call our law firm to learn more about what to do in case of a scooter accident in your city.
Steps to Take after a Bird Scooter Accident
After a Bird scooter accident, you should follow these steps to ensure that you will be well protected upon filing a lawsuit.
- Seek medical attention if you were injured and photograph your injuries
- Keep the Bird scooter if it were defective or if it were hit by a vehicle (if you can’t, pictures of the scooter or video evidence will have to suffice)
- Get insurance information from the responsible party if you were hit by another car
- Contact the police if you were struck by a vehicle
- Report the accident to Bird’s support team so that you can pursue an insurance claim
- Contact a skilled Bird injury attorney so you will have accurate representation in your case
Why You Need an Attorney
It can be extremely difficult to get any compensation if you file a claim by yourself with Bird. The company is not likely to listen to a random customer who does not pose a legal threat. You likely don’t have the necessary knowledge of the law required to negotiate a fair settlement and to threaten the company with a lawsuit in court. It is important, therefore, that you find an attorney who can sufficiently represent you.
We will be able to prove that there was negligence at play somewhere, whether you were hit by a negligent driver, riding on a defective scooter, or you were hurt because of Bird’s negligent action in one way or another.
Statute of Limitations to Sue Bird
If you plan on filing a lawsuit against Bird for injuries you suffered while riding one of their electric scooters, you should be aware of how much time you actually have to do so. Personal injury lawsuits have a time limit of 2 years from the date of the injury to take legal action, and if you try to pursue compensation after the 2 years is up, your claim will be thrown out and you won’t receive anything at all.
There are exceptions to this rule, though – if you were underage, hurt to such an extent that you couldn’t file a claim or if the defendant left the state. Upon turning 18, returning to a healthy state, or the return of the defendant, the statute would begin counting down.
An experienced lawyer from our law firm in Los Angeles can help you figure out if you are within the time limit to file your claim against Bird.
Potential Settlement from Bird
If you have been involved in a Bird accident, you may wish to file an injury lawsuit against the responsible party. This could involve a driver who hit you, the city if they did not fix a section of the street or sidewalk, an individual who contributed to the accident, or the Bird company for allowing a defective scooter to be ridden in public, where it could create accidents that result in injuries. This personal injury lawsuit can yield numerous types of compensation for your damages, including coverage for:
- Medical expenses in the event that you were hospitalized and needed surgery, or if you had to undergo physical therapy. You may also be covered for future medical procedures if necessary.
- Lost wages from missing days of work because of your injuries or because of medical treatment. If you must miss additional days because of time spent recovering, that income can also be reimbursed.
- Property damage if your personal items were broken or lost in an accident. Some riders have lost their cell phones or had their laptops broken, while other electronics and personal belongings in their backpacks were crushed or damaged.
- Pain and suffering damages, which are emotional damages meant to cover fear, anxiety, PTSD, mental stress, psychological troubles, and more.
You should not be expected to cover these damages yourself if you were the victim of an accident in some way. Our qualified lawyers can help you receive the restitution you deserve from Bird.
Normandie’s Role in Your Case
At Normandie Law Firm in Los Angeles, we take a high priority in every single one of our cases. We will do whatever it takes t bring the compensation you deserve if you were in an accident involving a Bird accident. We will help you learn more about the way that Bird handles its injury claims and why it is crucial that you have a lawyer who can assist you. Our team of attorneys is persistent and aggressive, and won’t stop looking to bring you the settlement you deserve, no matter what. We are willing to go to court to fight for what you deserve.
Call our law offices today to schedule a free legal consultation with one of our skilled attorneys. We invite you to ask us whatever is on your mind and we’ll gve you the necessary information you need. We are willing to look over your case and tell you what we feel it is worth and what we believe we can win for you. Further, all of our consultations are confidential and none of your private details will be shared elsewhere.
If you select us to handle your claim, we’ll give you our zero fee guarantee. This is a promise that you will not pay any out of pocket expenses for our services. We will not get paid until and unless we win your case, and the settlement will be from where we take the money, so Bird will cover your legal bills. If we lose, you’re off the hook and owe us no money at all.
For more Bird scooter injury insurance information, contact an accomplished lawyer at Normandie Law Firm in Los Angeles.
