Chicago E-Scooter Accident Lawyers

“Public transportation” has traditionally consisted of buses, subways, and light rail systems. Just as every other aspect of modern life has been affected by technological advancements with smart phones and apps, access to transportation options has expanded. New types of “alternative transportation” allows for the rental of different types of vehicles. What began with rental bicycles that could only be accessed from a fixed dock has expanded into other forms of bicycle share programs (bikeshare) that do not utilize a dock and also the emergence of electric-assist bikes (e-bikes) and now standing electric scooters (e-scooters).

Standing Electric Scooters

Standing electric scooters (e-scooters) have seen explosive growth. E-scooters are not only dockless but due to a size differential to a bicycle they can be more easily moved. And they are relatively quick with speeds of approximately 15 miles per hour which is five times the average walking speed of three miles per hour.

By design, electric scooter rentals allow anyone to rent a scooter, ride the two-wheeled vehicle for a short trip and then leave it wherever the renter decides to leave it. There are no docks for electric scooters. Just about anyone can rent one of the vehicles. There is absolutely zero screening or training for riders. There is also no direct supervision as to how the vehicles are ridden. This leads to a wide array of skill and experience levels on rented bicycles and e-scooters in Chicago's streets and bike lanes.

E-scooters are available for rental in Chicago without any test, any skills screening, and absent any interpersonal interaction before the renter takes it out onto the roadways. The entire transaction happens independently and digitally. The attorneys at Keating Law Offices, P.C. are concerned that there may be a lack of accountability for injuries from e-scooters. Emerging research has shown that the risk for injuries and death due to the use of these rental vehicles is substantial.

E-Scooter Rules And Regulations In Chicago

E-scooters in Chicago are governed by rules set through the Chicago Department of Transportation and its pilot programs. Those rules are not just background information. They often become the framework for proving fault after a crash. In the City of Chicago e-scooters basically can be used wherever and however a bicycle can be used. This includes riding in bicycle lanes. Throughout Chicagoland and the rest of Illinois the rules vary state by state depending on the city or town and their local regulations.

At Keating Law Offices, these regulations are part of what we use to build cases. When a driver ignores a bike lane, when a rider is forced into traffic, or when a scooter is operated in a restricted area, those details are documented and tied directly to liability.

Key rules that frequently become part of an injury investigation include:

Where Scooters Can Be Ridden: E-scooters are generally intended for streets and bike lanes, not sidewalks, in most situations. Violations can shift how fault is argued.
Speed and Operation Limits: Excessive speed or reckless riding is often raised by insurance companies to reduce payouts.
Parking Requirements: Improperly parked scooters can create hazards that lead to secondary crashes or pedestrian injuries.
Single Rider Use: Carrying passengers affects control and is frequently cited in defense arguments.
Traffic Law Compliance: Riders and drivers alike are expected to follow signals and yield appropriately.

These rules are not theoretical. They are pulled into real cases, analyzed against crash evidence, and used to challenge insurance company narratives that try to minimize what happened. That is where experience handling these cases matters.

E-Scooters Can Be Dangerous

Riding a bicycle is familiar to most people. Riding an e-scooter is not. The handling is different, the balance point is different, and the margin for error is smaller.

E-scooters are often used in traffic environments that were not designed for them. Riders are exposed, drivers may not anticipate their movement, and infrastructure does not always account for how scooters operate in real-world conditions.

The result is a pattern of injuries that mirrors, and in some cases exceeds, what is seen in bicycle crashes. Research reflects that reality:

Head injuries are among the most common and most serious outcomes.
Fractures make up a significant portion of reported injuries.
Many riders are injured in the street, often involving motor vehicles.

Studies have shown that a substantial percentage of injured riders require hospitalization, and helmet use remains extremely low. The combination of speed, exposure, and lack of protection makes these crashes particularly dangerous.

Investigating Divvy and Lime Scooter Crashes in Chicago

E-scooter use in Chicago is largely driven by shared systems like Divvy and Lime, which place thousands of scooters into active traffic environments every day. When one of these scooters is involved in a crash, the case often extends beyond the rider and into how the company operated that device.

Keating Law Offices investigates these cases with a focus on the law as well as how the scooter was put into service, how it was maintained, and what data exists about the ride itself. That includes looking beyond the surface explanation and identifying whether a company shares responsibility.

Issues that are regularly examined in these cases include:

Maintenance Failures: Brake issues, battery defects, or mechanical problems tied to company upkeep.
Improper Deployment: Scooters placed in high-risk or obstructive locations that create foreseeable danger.
Ride Data And App Records: GPS tracking, timestamps, and usage logs used to reconstruct the crash.
Corporate Defenses: User agreements and liability waivers that companies rely on but that do not automatically prevent recovery.

Unlike a standard car accident, an e-scooter crash leaves behind a digital footprint. We subpoena GPS logs, speed timestamps, and maintenance records from companies like Lime and Divvy to prove when a mechanical failure or software glitch caused a crash. Our firm doesn't just rely on police reports; we use the scooter's own data to reconstruct the seconds leading up to the impact.

These cases are rarely simple rider-versus-driver claims. They often involve layered liability, and identifying all responsible parties is critical to securing full compensation. That is the approach Keating Law Offices takes in scooter and bicycle cases across Chicago.

Why E-Scooter Injuries Are on the Rise

A standing electric scooter poses many similar risks of injury as those bicyclists face. A 2019 Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) article analyzed the medical records of 249 patients involved in standing electric scooter at two urban emergency rooms in Southern California between September 1, 2017 and August 31, 2018. Just as with bicycles, there are specific injury patterns:

The riders’ heads were the most often injured body part with 40.2% reporting a head injury. This was consistent with only 4.4% of the riders documented as wearing a helmet.
Fractures accounted for nearly a third of the injuries with 31.7% of riders suffering a break.
Other injuries such as contusions, sprains and lacerations independent of a fracture or head injury accounted for 27.7% of the documented injuries.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) participated in a study with Austin, Texas to look into the risks of injury for riding an e-scooter. The Austin study found that 58% of the e-scooters riders suffered an injury. The study also found that of those injured 1 in 5 (20%) needed a hospitalization. The study found that of those injured 45% suffered a head injury, 27% an upper extremity fracture, and 12% a lower extremity fracture. The majority (52%) of e-scooter injury incidents occurred in the street, 29% involved first-time riders, 18% involved motor vehicles. Fewer than 1% of e-scooter riders interviewed reported helmet use. The CDC found that based on 130 confirmed injury incidents, the e-scooter related injury incidence rate was 14.3 injured riders per 100,000 e-scooter trips.

E-Scooter Accidents Have Already Drawn Citywide Attorneys

Keating Law Offices founder and principal attorney Mike Keating has been at the forefront of advocating for safety from e-scooter companies. Mike was invited by the American Association for Justice to speak to the attendees of the 2019 AAJ Winter Convention in Miami. Mike's subject was bike share and the emerging threats posed by e-scooters. The speech was entitled "Looking Beyond Automobiles: Bicycles and Electric Scooters." Mike Keating has been directly involved in the City of Chicago’s e-scooter initiatives and has closely monitored the use of Lime scooters and Divvy scooters on Chicago’s streets and in its bike lanes. It is the mission of Keating Law Offices to help protect Chicagoans and to prevent companies from placing profits over people.

Mike has also handled high-profile e-scooter matters that have drawn major media attention, including being featured on the front page of the Chicago Sun-Times. This highlights the real risks riders face and the gaps in accountability that often follow these crashes. That coverage reflects the same work the firm does in every case. Investigating how the crash happened. Identifying whether a driver, a company, or roadway conditions played a role. Challenging the lack of citations or incomplete reporting that can weaken a claim.

The firm represents e-scooter riders who have been injured while riding an e-scooter. The firm also represents bicyclists and pedestrians who have been injured in a collision with an e-scooter. The attorneys at Keating Law Offices are available for free legal consultations with anyone who has been injured while riding an e-scooter or as a result of the use of an e-scooter. All consultations are without any obligation and are 100% confidential. The firm can be reached at 312-239-6787 with operators available around the clock outside of normal business hours. You can also email the firm at [email protected].