Florida Bicycle, Scooter & Skateboard Injury Attorney
Bicycles, scooters, and skateboards can provide exercise and can be essential for recreational activities and transportation in Florida. Yet bicycles, scooters, and skateboards can also pose significant injury risks, and consumers can suffer severe, debilitating, and sometimes fatal injuries. Depending upon the particular facts of your case, another party may be liable for the injuries you have sustained. An experienced Florida bicycle, scooter & skateboard accident attorney at our firm can evaluate your case for you today and help you to understand your options for filing a claim and seeking financial compensation.
Getting the Facts About Florida Bicycle, Scooter, and Skateboard Injuries
What do you need to know about bicycle, scooter, and skateboard injuries in Florida? The following are some essential facts and figures collated from the National Safety Council (NSC), the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), and Skateboardsafety.org:
- Bicycle accident deaths have increased significantly over the last decade, with fatal bicycle accidents rising by 37 percent between 2010 and 2020;
- Nonfatal bicycle collision injuries have also risen recently, despite a general decline over the last decade;
- Bicycle, scooter, and skateboard injuries are most prevalent in the summer across the country, but risks exist year-round in Florida given the temperate fall and winter weather;
- Males sustain significantly more fatal and nonfatal injuries in bicycle accidents than females;
- Nonfatal bicycle accident injuries are most common among kids aged 5-19, but the highest rate of bicycle injury deaths occur in the 55-64 year age group;
- Bicycle collisions with motor vehicle and bicycle accessory defects account for the highest rate of emergency department visits;
- E-scooters have a high rate of serious and fatal injuries, but these accidents do not commonly involve motor vehicles (unlike bicycle accidents);
- Electric scooter uses between the ages of 30-49, and 50 and up, account for the highest rate of injuries;
- Bicycle and e-scooter accidents most commonly result in traumatic brain injuries, and injuries to the lower extremities;
- Skateboarding injuries occur most often in people aged 15-24, followed closely by kids aged 5-14, and then by adults aged 25-64;
- Bicycles are the third-leading cause of recreational injury, while skateboards are the tenth-leading cause of recreational injuries;
- Majority of people injured in skateboarding accidents are male, with males sustaining skateboarding injuries at more than double the rate of females;
- More than 125,000 skateboard injuries require treatment in emergency departments each year; and
- About three-quarters (74 percent) of all skateboarding injuries affect the extremities, and fractures are among the most common types of injury.
Who is Liable for Bicycle, Scooter, or Skateboard Injuries?
Multiple parties may be liable for bicycle, scooter, or skateboard injuries. These types of accidents typically are filed as auto accident cases when they involve a collision with a motor vehicle, product liability lawsuits against a product maker or seller when injuries result from a defective bike or scooter or skateboard, or premises liability lawsuits against a property owner when the accident resulted from a hazard on another party’s premises.
Contact a Florida Bicycle, Scooter, and Skateboard Accident Lawyer
If you or someone you love recently got hurt while riding a bicycle, scooter, or skateboard, it may be possible to file a claim for financial compensation. One of our experienced Florida bicycle, scooter, and skateboard injury attorneys can speak with you today. Contact Halpern Santos & Pinkert, P.A. for more information.