Scooter Accidents Can Cause Serious Injuries

Electric scooters have become a common sight in and around Los Angeles. Bird – arguably the largest e-scooter company – launched in Santa Monica, and has expanded throughout Southern California since then. Scooters offer a convenient way to travel locally on demand. They can also cause serious traumatic brain injuries. If you or a loved one has been injured in a scooter accident, schedule a consultation at Deldar Legal as soon as possible. Our experienced scooter accident attorneys can help protect your legal right to compensation.  Call (844) 335-3271 today.

Here are just some of the many serious injuries you can suffer as a result of a scooter accident:

Traumatic Brain Injuries

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) range in severity. According to the Mayo Clinic, a mild TBI could be a simple concussion that resolves on its own in a day or two. More serious TBIs could take weeks or months to recover from fully. The most severe traumatic brain injury cases result in permanent brain damage. A person can be left unable to work or even live independently. A severe TBI can require full-time nursing care. This – in addition to diagnostic testing, consultation, and treatment with neurological specialists – can result in staggering medical bills.

TBI victims have the legal right to be compensated for all losses they sustain. The lost wages and medical bills can quickly rise into the millions of dollars. But a TBI victim is also entitled to compensation for his or her intangible losses. This includes the loss of enjoyment of life, pain and suffering, the inability to participate in hobbies, and other losses that are not easily quantified.

Spinal Cord Injuries

Like TBIs, spinal cord injuries can range significantly in severity. A mild bruising or strain on the spinal cord might resolve on its own with a few days of rest. (This process can be painful and uncomfortable, and victims are entitled to compensation for that suffering.) More severe spinal cord injuries might require the intervention of expert neurologists. Physical therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy could go on for months. Surgery might even be needed to correct injuries sustained in the accident.

The most severe spinal cord injuries can result in paralysis – or even death. Paralysis invariably results in a lifetime of medical bills. There are also related expenses, such as home modifications to allow for wheelchair access or in-home nursing care. If the victim is unable to return to work, the negligent defendant is also responsible for compensating all wages the victim would have earned for the rest of his or her career. This includes employment benefits as well. Health, dental, and vision insurance, holiday and performance bonuses, retirement contributions, and other benefits paid by employers are all compensable losses to a victim who can no longer work.

Severe Soft Tissue Injuries

Soft tissue supports, connects, and surrounds the bony structures and organs of the body. It includes muscles, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, fascia, fat, and nerves. Soft tissue is often designed to support and protect important body parts. Because of this, it often receives a large part of the impact of a collision. Mild soft tissue injuries (such as whiplash) are common in auto accident cases. Even these mild injuries can be quite painful. Unfortunately, claims adjusters are trained to discount these cases. It is important for victims to have an aggressive personal injury attorney who can prove the value of this pain and suffering to the insurance company in order to fight lowball settlement offers.

Not all soft tissue injuries are mild. Serious damage to the blood vessels can be life-threatening. Sometimes an injury victim requires blood transfusions or surgery just to stop the bleeding and stay alive. Nerve damage can also be quite serious. It can cause partial paralysis to various parts of the body. It can cause pain and tingling that lasts for years – or even a lifetime. These are all very real and compensable losses.

Broken Bones

Broken bones might seem to be a straightforward injury. After all, so many broken bones heal with a simple cast setting. The reality is that many factors can complicate the healing of a broken bone. Some bones must be set surgically, using pins and other painful devices. Some bones require large, uncomfortable devices to set. (One example is the halo brace, which actually screws into the patient’s skull.) The healing process can be long, complicated, and painful.

Medical conditions can also complicate the healing process. A patient with a Vitamin D deficiency might simply have a harder time regenerating bone. Calcium supplements can help stimulate the process of bone growth, but this is not effective in all cases. Damage to the surrounding blood vessels can also make it difficult – or even impossible – for the bone to heal on its own.

Internal Bleeding and Organ Damage

Damage to the internal organs and blood vessels can be one of the most severe conditions to develop after a scooter accident. Your life can be in immediate danger if you are not immediately rushed into surgery. You could bleed to death without a drop of blood ever leaving your body. Your lungs, liver, heart, kidneys, pancreas, or other vital organs could stop working. These problems can quickly result in death if the patient does not get immediate medical attention. This often requires emergency surgery and costly hospital stays. Within hours of the accident, a patient can easily accrue hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills. Negligent defendants are responsible for paying for these medical bills. They are also responsible for compensating the victim for the ongoing treatments, pain, and suffering he or she must endure.

Call Us Today to Schedule a Free Case Evaluation with a Los Angeles Scooter Accident Attorney

Serious injuries cause serious losses. Some of these losses, like lost wages and medical bills, are easy to quantify. Others, like pain and suffering, are difficult to place a dollar amount on. Injury victims still have the legal right to full and fair compensation for these intangible losses. Let the experienced Los Angeles scooter accident attorneys at Deldar Legal protect your legal rights throughout the claims process. Call (844) 335-3271 or contact us online today to schedule your free consultation.

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Posted in: Auto Accidents, Personal Injury