Rental e-scooters and e-bikes are everywhere along Fort Lauderdale Beach, Las Olas Boulevard, South Beach, and the other walkable corridors that define South Florida. They're convenient, they're fun, and they're putting more riders in the emergency room every year. Englander Peebles represents riders, pedestrians, and families across Broward, Miami-Dade, and throughout Florida who have been seriously hurt in e-scooter and e-bike crashes.
Why E-Scooter and E-Bike Accidents Are So Common Here
South Florida has a specific combination of conditions that make micromobility riding dangerous:
- Tourist-heavy nightlife corridors: Las Olas, Fort Lauderdale Beach, Ocean Drive, and South Beach pack rental scooters, pedestrians, valet traffic, and cars into the same few blocks, especially at night;
- Riders unfamiliar with local roads: many riders are tourists on vacation, unfamiliar with local traffic patterns, one-way streets, and where it is and isn't legal to ride;
- Drivers who aren't looking for scooters: motorists frequently fail to check for a scooter or e-bike before turning, opening a car door, or backing out of a parking spot — the same "looked but didn't see" problem that plagues motorcyclists;
- Minimal protected infrastructure: large stretches of South Florida's busiest corridors still lack protected bike lanes, forcing riders to share a traffic lane with cars and trucks;
- Almost no protective gear: the vast majority of riders wear no helmet at all, turning a low-speed fall into a serious head injury;
- Alcohol in the mix: scooters and e-bikes are a popular way to get between bars and restaurants in nightlife districts, and impairment affects riders and drivers alike; and
- Sudden South Florida weather: afternoon downpours common to the region leave pavement slick with little warning, and small wheels handle standing water far worse than a normal motor vehicle.
The Numbers Tell the Story
This isn't a hypothetical risk — it's a documented, worsening trend across Broward and Miami-Dade Counties:
- The Broward County Medical Examiner's Office has recorded numerous deaths since 2019.
- Reported e-scooter accidents in Fort Lauderdale climbed from 47 in 2020 to 52 in 2021 to 72 in 2022.
- Local trauma centers saw e-bike and e-scooter cases jump from 11 in 2022 to 52 in 2024, with 41 more in the first quarter of 2025 alone.
- Only about 17% of injured riders treated at those trauma centers were wearing a helmet.
- Nationally, the Consumer Product Safety Commission documented 233 deaths and roughly 360,800 emergency department visits tied to micromobility devices from 2017 through 2022.
Common Injuries
- Traumatic brain injury and skull fractures, disproportionately common given how few riders wear helmets;
- Facial and dental injuries;
- Fractures to the wrists, arms, and collarbone — the body's instinctive way of breaking a fall;
- Road rash and severe abrasions from pavement contact; and
- Spinal injuries from high-impact collisions with vehicles.
Who Can Be Held Responsible
- The rental company, when a mechanical defect — failed brakes, a degraded tire, a malfunctioning throttle — or inadequate safety instructions contributed to the crash;
- A third-party driver who failed to yield, turned without checking, or opened a car door into a rider's path ("dooring"); and/or
- A property owner or municipality, where a poorly maintained path, pothole, or missing signage contributed to the crash.
What to Do After an E-Scooter or E-Bike Crash
- Get medical attention immediately — head and wrist injuries are common even in low-speed falls, and some symptoms don't appear right away;
- Call the police and get a report, especially if another vehicle was involved;
- Photograph and video the scooter or bike, the scene, and any visible damage or defect;
- Save the rental app's trip data (start/end time, route, vehicle ID) before it becomes harder to retrieve; and
- Avoid accepting a quick settlement offer from an insurance company before understanding the full extent of your injuries and speaking to an experienced attorney.
Why South Florida Riders and Families Choose Englander Peebles
Micromobility cases move fast — rental trip data, insurance coverage, and evidence of a road or vehicle defect can all become harder to obtain the longer a claim sits. Englander Peebles investigates these crashes the way we investigate any serious injury case: identifying every liable party, securing the evidence before it disappears, and pursuing full compensation for medical care, lost income, and pain and suffering. We handle these cases on a contingency-fee basis, so there's no cost to find out where you stand.
Talk to a South Florida Injury Lawyer Today
If you or a loved one has been hurt in an e-scooter or e-bike accident, the attorneys at Englander Peebles are here for you. Give us a call today for a free, no obligation consultation.
Englander Peebles | (954) 500-HURT | ftlinjurylaw.com | 2122 W. Cypress Creek Road, Suite 206, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309