As noted in one of our previous blog posts, the explosive popularity of electric scooter sharing in California metro areas has been accompanied by a rise in accidents involving the scooters.
Now Bloomberg reporter Joshua Brustein reports that one of the biggest scooter-sharing companies, Lime, has been trading blame with scooter manufacturer Segway Ninebot over reports that some of the vehicles have been reported to smolder or even catch fire while in use.
While noting that nine California residents have filed a non-related injury lawsuit this October against both sharing companies and manufacturers, Brustein reports that Lime claimed in a statement that a “Segway scooter model may also be vulnerable to battery failure.”
Brustein continues:
Segway defended its vehicles, saying that they meet all global and U.S. regulations, and work safely under normal operating conditions. “We have observed that operational hazards do rise from extreme abuse and vandalism of the vehicles in the scooter-sharing market,” it wrote in a statement posted to its website. “We strongly recommend that operators strengthen their capability of fleet operation and maintenance to avoid potential safety problems caused by the improper use of damaged vehicles.”
In its statement, Lime downplayed its reliance on Segway as a supplier: “Lime uses many different manufacturers for the production of our bikes and scooters…One of those manufacturers is Segway Ninebot.”
While the scooter companies trade barbs, we’ll keep you abreast of your rights as a consumer. If you or a loved one has been injured in a scooter accident and you want to find out what your options are, call Hales & Associates, A Professional Law Corporation in Murrieta at (951) 489-3320 for a free consultation.