Scooter Food Delivery Accidents

Food delivery has grown exponentially over the last few years, and with it the methods of delivery have changed and increased. At first, it was common to receive food deliveries via vehicles such as cars and trucks. Now, deliveries can be made by drones, bikes, and even on electric scooters. Unfortunately, crashes and injuries have also grown in proportion with these trends, as a car accident lawyer can attest. Delivery workers living in large cities looking to make quick deliveries often turn towards scooters, but when an accident happens, payment for damages can be a tricky issue.

What Causes Scooter Accidents?

Distracted driving plays a large part in these kinds of accidents, as scooter drivers often look at their phones for directions while driving. One quick glance away from the road is all it can take for an accident to occur. Negligence from surrounding drivers can also lead to wrecks; scooters, like motorcycles or pedestrians, are smaller and not as easy to see. If a driver is not paying attention, they may almost strike someone on a scooter, causing the scooter driver to veer out of the way and run into another vehicle. Of course, this gets further complicated if the electric scooter user was in a bike lane, in the roadway itself, or using a sidewalk. Poor road conditions can also cause problems. With scooters being smaller modes of transportation, they cannot handle large potholes or uneven roadways in the same manner that a larger vehicle like a truck could. Finally, user error or mechanical malfunction can also lead to accidents.

As you can see, there are many potential causes of accidents as shared by our friends at Cohen & Cohen. It might seem incredulous, but these electric scooters can actually go pretty fast, and if they hit a car, they cause damage. When that happens, who will cover those damages?

Who Pays For The Accident?

If the scooter user is on the clock and they are delivering food, some companies provide coverage. However, with scooters not being quite as common as cars, many companies do not provide coverage if an accident occurs. If they do offer coverage, it may be limited. It is also based on the employment status of the scooter driver — are they working full time as a W2 employee for the delivery company, or do they work as a 1099 contractor?

If the delivery company does not cover damages, it then falls onto the insurance of the driver of the scooter. They may have personal insurance that can cover for an accident. However, many people are not aware that other insurance policies such as homeowners or auto insurance do not tend to automatically cover scooter accidents — especially if the driver is working at the time. In that case, they would actually need to have a special policy through their insurance for

business purposes. If none of the above conditions are met, it is then on the scooter driver to pay for damages themselves.

Cases like these can be very tricky, but scooters can cause quite a bit of damage at the end of the day including dented fenders and whiplash. If you have been involved in a scooter accident of any sort, it is best to seek legal help near you immediately to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve to cover any injuries or damages you sustain.