E-Bike Accident Attorneys
Fort Lauderdale E-Bike Accident Attorneys
Were You in an Accident While Riding an Electric Bicycle?
As E-Bikes become more popular and affordable, in Ft. Lauderdale and South Florida, , so do e-bike accidents. If you or a loved one was in an e-bike accident and suffered a serious injury, you’ll want strong legal counsel on your side to support you through this difficult situation. Schlesinger Law Offices, P.A. and our Fort Lauderdale E-Bike accident lawyers are here to protect your rights, fight the opposition, and even go to trial if they don’t cooperate in settlement negotiations. We have been representing the wrongfully injured for decades, so let us help you or your loved ones restore the quality of life after an E-Bike accident case.
People choose Schlesinger Law Offices, P.A. first because:
- We are a multi-generational law firm with 70+ years of experience and tradition.
- We have won multiple multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements, including many for motorized vehicle accident clients.
- We are a fully staffed law firm that can take tough cases to trial if necessary.
- We are respected by our peers and often take new cases through referrals because other law firms trust us as much as our clients.
Our attorneys are strong proponents of product safety, especially when considering products marketed toward children, as many e-bikes are. If your child or teenager was hurt due to an E-Bike defect, including inadequate safety measures provided by the e-bike manufacturer, Schlesinger Law Office will help you understand your legal options and fight for justice for your child.
E-Bike Classifications
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) considers an E-Bike as a two- or three-wheeled vehicle equipped with pedals and an electric motor, which can be used separately or together to move the bike. The motor on an E-Bike must be rated below 750 watts and must not be able to move the e-bike faster than 20 miles per hour on a level surface without the combined use of the pedals in most situations. Speed limit variations exist and may be important to consider when building an e-bike accident claim.
E-Bike classes with different speed limitations based on design are:
- Class 1: A pedal-assist e-bike (the motor can only be used while the biker pedals manually) that can’t exceed 20 mph.
- Class 2: An e-bike with a motor that can be used with or without manually pedaling and can’t exceed 20 mph.
- Class 3: An advanced e-bike meant for farther commutes that can’t exceed 28 mph when the pedals and motors are used together.
Critics of e-bike safety have argued that it is often too easy for an e-bike rider to exceed 20 or 28 mph, especially when going downhill. Allegedly, certain e-bike speed limiters can be bypassed with the use of a third-party smartphone app. As with any vehicle, the faster an e-bike travels, the greater the risk of injury to the operator and pedestrians, so there is a clear need for speed limits and built-in limiters.
Common Causes of E-Bike Accidents
Using our significant resources and extensive experience with complex accident claims, we can investigate the cause of your e-bike accident. Some accidents are caused by a single party’s mistakes, and others might involve multiple parties. No matter the situation, you can be sure that it won’t be too complicated for our attorneys and support staff.
E-bike accidents can be caused by these common issues and more:
- Distracted driver
- Drunk driver
- E-bike defect
- Poor bike lane design
When the cause of an e-bike accident is not clear or surrounded by contested details, Schlesinger Law Offices, P.A. can work with outside experts like accident reconstructionists, mechanical engineers, and doctors. We have a strong reputation throughout Fort Lauderdale and Florida, so it is simple for us to call upon third-party experts for an extra advantage while building a case.
Unsafe Speeds for Public Roads
As mentioned, the speed limits for most e-bikes range between 20 mph and 28 mph. Safety groups – and many parents of children who have been in serious e-bike accidents – have argued that e-bikes travel too quickly to be on the sidewalks but too slowly to be in the street with larger vehicles. The result is that there is no safe space to use an e-bike, which prompts the question, “Should e-bikes be sold at all if there is nowhere safe to ride them?”
Who is Liable for an E-Bike Accident?
Determining the cause will help us determine liability. You can think of liability as the legal term for fault or blame. The party that is to blame for your accident can be held responsible for paying for the damages it causes through a successful injury claim or lawsuit.
Different parties that can be liable for an e-bike accident include:
- Motorists: Many e-bike accidents in Fort Lauderdale are caused by distracted, drunk, or reckless drivers who are not sharing the road safely with bicyclists. If you were seriously injured by a motorist while riding an e-bike, either one you rented or one you owned, we can use our tried-and-proven experience with other bicycle accident claims to represent and protect your best interests.
- E-Bike companies: An E-Bike accident claim can get complicated when it is determined that the e-bike company played a part in the accident. For example, an e-bike company could be found negligent if a defect with the e-bike caused the rider to crash. Thanks to our years of handling product liability claims, we will be ready to challenge E-Bike companies in and out of court.
- Cities and local governments: In rare cases, an E-Bike accident might be caused by the unsafe and unreasonable design of bicycle lanes that put bicyclists in the direct path of traffic or pedestrians. If this happened to you and you got injured in a wreck, we can discuss your options. Claims filed against a municipal authority like a local Department of Transportation may have a significantly shorter statute of limitations, so do not delay. Call (954) 467-8800 now.
E-Bike Accidents Involving Children & Teens
A lack of safety regulations and unchecked manufacturer advertising seem to be at the center of most E-Bike accidents that involve children or teenagers. Many e-bikes are sold through online retailers that cannot check the age of the person making the purchase. Others are intentionally marketed toward children, who can’t appreciate the need for carefulness when riding a motorized vehicle or the risk of injury if an accident occurs at 20 mph.
Another serious concern with E-Bike sold to children is the lack of training, license, or certification needed to use an e-bike. There are no government departments with jurisdiction over who can use an e-bike, despite an e-bike being a motorized vehicle capable of traveling 20 mph on average. Children with little to no experience with a bicycle can purchase an e-bike, ride it immediately, and unknowingly put themselves and others at risk of injury.
Common Injuries in E-Bike Accidents
E-bicycle riders can suffer catastrophic injuries in a crash, even if wearing a helmet. To make matters worse, rentable E-Bike do not come with a helmet and can be rented even if the rider does not have a helmet of their own. This situation increases the risk of a head injury and could put some liability on the e-bike company for not ensuring the safety of e-bike renters before completing the transaction.
Serious injuries that can occur in an e-bike accident include:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Spinal cord injuries
- Road rash
- Broken bones
If you lost a loved one to a fatal E-Bike accident in Fort Lauderdale, we can manage a wrongful death claim on your behalf. While you focus on grieving and healing, our attorneys can go head-to-head with the party that caused the fatal accident and any insurance companies that might represent them.
Damages for E-Bike Accident Claimants
The “value” or “worth” of your e-bike accident claim will be based on your losses or damages. In an injury claim, damages can be economic or non-economic, based on the types of harm in question. Our attorneys can carefully research your accident, the injuries you have suffered, and how they are affecting your day-to-day life to calculate a fair and maximized amount of damages owed to you.
Different damages in an E-Bike accident claim can include:
- Past and future medical bills
- Past and future lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Permanent disability complications
- Lessened enjoyment of life
- E-bike replacement if it was your bik E-Bik
Call Schlesinger Law Offices Now
Don’t wait to get legal help after an accident on an electric bicycle. Get the Fort Lauderdale E-Bike accident attorneys of our firm on your side now. We are prepared with resources, experience, and tenacity to fight for you or your child after a serious E-Bike, whether it involved a motorist or pedestrian or was a single-vehicle accident. Fighting for the wrongfully injured has built our reputation for decades. See the differences we can make for yourself by reaching out today.
Choose the law firm that’s won millions and millions of dollars for its clients. Contact Schlesinger Law Offices, P.A. online or dial (954) 467-8800.
Continued Reading
