A 16-year-old was seriously injured earlier this week in Bridgeport, New Jersey, when he was struck by a Jeep Liberty while riding a motorized bike (also known as an electric bike, or e-bike) across the intersection of Stratford Avenue and East Main Street. Several drivers called the police about the incident, reporting that the boy was seriously injured. The 2003 Jeep Liberty was driven by a 25-year-old woman who also had a 14-year-old passenger in the car with her. Neither the driver nor the passenger in the Jeep was injured as a result of the collision. However, the 16-year-old boy was seriously injured and unresponsive when help arrived at the scene.
The accident is said to have occurred when the Jeep attempted to make a left-hand turn and hit the boy as he was crossing the middle of the intersection. The boy was transported to a local hospital and is now said to be in stable condition. Officers have not commented as to whether either party was negligent in causing the accident or who had the right of way at the time the accident occurred. They have also not stated whether charges will be brought against the driver of the Jeep Liberty.
E-Bike Accidents: E-bike accidents are becoming increasingly popular as electric bikes and scooters become easily available through apps. You can find them on most sidewalks and curbs just waiting to be ridden for a minimal cost. However, no special training, license, or insurance is required in order to operate e-bikes and s-scooters, and many people are not clear on whether they should ride on the sidewalk with other scooters or in traffic with other bikes and vehicles. Either way, more accidents are likely to result involving pedestrians and cars. Vehicles on the road are not as familiar with e-bikes and e-scooters, so they are not yet habitually accustomed to looking out for them in their blindspots and when switching lanes and making left-hand turns, which are among the most common causes of such accidents. Additionally, when collisions do occur between e-bikes or scooters and vehicles, the injuries and damages are often catastrophic, as the rides of e-bikes and e-scooters have essentially no protection. In fact, most of these riders do not even have helmets, as riders of traditional bicycles and scooters would. Hit-and-run accidents are also a common occurrence when it comes to accidents of this kind, and it can be difficult to track down the responsible party to bring a lawsuit or press charges. These can all present special difficulties to victims of such accidents.
E-Bike Injuries: A recent study cited in the Journal of Injury Prevention analyzed a significant amount of data and determined that in addition to being responsible for an increased number of traffic-related fatalities, e-bike accidents also result in more injuries to the rider of the bike as compared to traditional bicycles and that the injuries that occur are different than those that would be experienced by the rider of a traditional bicycle or even an e-scooter. The study found that individuals riding e-bikes who were involved in an accident were more likely to suffer internal injuries, such as bleeding, internal hemorrhage, and organ damage, as compared to riders of traditional bicycles and e-scooters. However, they noted that riders of e-scooters were more likely to sustain head injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries and concussions than riders of either traditional bicycles or e-bikes.
Suing for E-Bike Injuries in New Jersey
If you have been injured in an e-bike or e-scooter accident in New Jersey, you will have to establish that the other party was negligent in causing the accident. This means that you must show that the other party breached their reasonable duty of care by violating the law or driving negligently or recklessly. New Jersey is a contributory negligence jurisdiction, so you must be able to show that the other party was primarily responsible for causing the accident. If you can show that the other party was 50% or more responsible for causing the accident, then you will have standing to collect damages from them. However, if you were equally or more responsible for causing the accident then you will not be able to succeed in bringing a claim. Once you have established that they were negligent in causing the accident, you will also have to show that their negligence was the cause of your injuries and that your injuries were both physical and financial.
Contact Smith & William Law Firm Today
If you have suffered serious injuries as a result of a New Jersey vehicle collision, contact the experienced personal injury attorneys at Smith & William Law Firm today to schedule a consultation and find out how we can get you the compensation to which you are entitled.
