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.

About the Author

Patrick M. Regan, Esq.

Patrick Regan is a board certified personal injury lawyer and a founding partner at Regan Zambri Long. His practice is devoted to helping those who suffered catastrophic injuries in car accidents, truck accidents, Metro accidents, and medical malpractice. Over his nearly 40-year career, Patrick has obtained some of the most significant jury verdicts in the history of Washington, DC on behalf of injured victims. Patrick is licensed to practice law in Washington, DC, Virginia, and Maryland. He received his B.A. at Hamilton College and his J.D. at the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America.