D.C. Council Moves to Widen Legal Protections for E-Scooter Riders Involved in Accidents

Amidst ongoing changes with transportation, the D.C. Council recently passed transportation measures to help e-scooter riders collect damages after being injured in an accident.  E-scooter riders will be considered a “vulnerable road user” and thus no longer fall under D.C.’s contributory negligence tort regime.

Under contributory negligence, an e-scooter rider would not be able to recoup any medical bills if the rider were even 1 percent at fault. However, this measure is set to only bar recovery if a jury finds an e-scooter rider to be beyond 50 percent at fault – making it much easier to recoup medical bills arising from any resulting injuries.

The bill passed unanimously and expands on a prior law that gave similar protection to pedestrians and riders of non-motorized bikes.

For more information about your legal rights, contact us at Regan Zambri Long PLLC today for a no-cost consultation.