Brentwood E-Scooter Accident Attorneys
If you or a loved one has been injured in an e-scooter accident anywhere in Los Angeles, from the busy streets of Brentwood and Westwood to Santa Monica, Century City, or Beverly Hills, the dedicated personal injury team at Biren Law Group is ready to stand by your side.
For more than 40 years, founding attorney Matthew B.F. Biren and our firm have secured hundreds of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for injury victims throughout Southern California, taking on some of the largest insurance companies, corporations, and entities in the state. We know the unique dangers riders face in our neighborhoods and how a quick ride can turn into a life-altering injury.
When you choose Biren Law Group, you get an experienced trial team that treats every case with the attention it deserves, because your recovery, your finances, and your future matter. We work on a contingency-fee basis (you pay nothing unless we win), and we will fight tirelessly to hold every responsible party accountable.
Call us now at (310) 774-0078 or fill out our confidential contact form for a free, no-obligation consultation.
Common Causes of E-Scooter Accidents in Brentwood and West LA
E-scooter accidents in Brentwood, Westwood, Santa Monica, and greater West Los Angeles have surged in recent years. While the convenience of dockless scooters is undeniable, the combination of heavy traffic, aging infrastructure, and equipment issues creates a perfect storm for serious injuries.
The most frequent causes we see at Biren Law Group include:
- Dangerous road and sidewalk conditions: Los Angeles is notorious for poorly maintained streets and sidewalks. Deep potholes, raised tree roots, cracked concrete, and uneven transitions between curb and roadway are especially prevalent along San Vicente Boulevard, Wilshire Boulevard, Bundy Drive, and the quieter residential streets of Brentwood Heights and Mandeville Canyon. Even a small bump at 15 mph can send a rider flying.
- Motorists failing to see or yield to scooter riders: Drivers turning right at intersections, pulling out of driveways, or changing lanes without checking blind spots often cut directly into a rider’s path. Many drivers still treat e-scooter users as pedestrians rather than legitimate roadway users, leading to devastating collisions.
- Dooring accidents: Parallel parking is common throughout Brentwood Village, Westwood Village, and along Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica. When a driver or passenger suddenly opens a car door without looking, a passing e-scooter rider has virtually no time to react. These crashes frequently cause head trauma, broken bones, and severe road rash.
- Defective or poorly maintained scooters: Brake failure remains one of the top complaints; riders press the lever, and nothing happens. Accidents can also involve sudden throttle malfunctions, spontaneous wheel lock-ups, software glitches that cause the scooter to shut down mid-ride, and even battery fires. Rental companies are supposed to inspect and maintain their fleets daily, but in reality, many scooters are deployed with known defects.
- Cluttered and improperly parked scooters: Scooters abandoned in the middle of sidewalks force riders and pedestrians into the street. In West LA, riders may be forced to swerve suddenly around a pile of scooters, only to be struck by a passing car.
- Nighttime riding hazards: Many rental scooters have inadequate lighting or reflectors, and riders often travel after dark on poorly lit streets. Combined with intoxicated drivers leaving restaurants and bars, visibility issues turn minor mistakes into catastrophic collisions.
- Inexperienced or impaired riders: Tourists and first-time users unfamiliar with Los Angeles traffic patterns, or riders under the influence, contribute to many crashes; though California’s comparative fault rules still allow injured riders to recover substantial compensation even if they bear partial responsibility.
Because multiple parties can share liability, investigating these cases quickly and thoroughly is critical. The sooner our team can preserve the scooter, download its event data, or document roadway defects, the stronger your claim becomes.
Common E-Scooter Injuries in West Los Angeles
- Traumatic brain injuries and concussions (even with a helmet)
- Facial and dental trauma
- Broken wrists, arms, and collarbones from outstretched falls
- Road rash requiring skin grafts
- Knee and ankle ligament tears
- Spinal fractures and disc herniations
- Internal injuries and organ damage
Who Is Legally Responsible After an E-Scooter Accident or Injury?
Liability can fall on multiple parties:
- Negligent motorists or cyclists
- The e-scooter company (Bird, Lime, Spin, etc.) for product defects or inadequate maintenance
- The City of Los Angeles or private property owners for dangerous road/sidewalk conditions
- Third-party repair contractors who serviced the scooter
California’s comparative negligence rules apply, but even if you were partially at fault, you can still recover significant compensation.
Product Liability Claims Against E-Scooter Companies
A significant number of the most severe e-scooter injuries are not caused by another driver or a pothole, but by the scooter itself. Defective brakes that fail to engage, sudden and unintended acceleration, wheels that wobble or lock up, handlebars that snap, software malfunctions that cause the scooter to shut off mid-ride, and even overheating batteries that ignite; these are all tragically common problems with certain e-scooter models and fleets.
In California, product liability law is one of the most powerful tools available to injured riders. Unlike a typical negligence claim (where you must prove the company or driver was careless), strict product liability allows you to hold the manufacturer, distributor, and rental company financially responsible if you can show three things:
- The scooter had a defect (in design, manufacturing, or inadequate warnings);
- The defect existed when the scooter left the company’s control; and
- The defect caused your injury.
These claims can be brought under three separate theories:
- Design defect: The entire model line is unreasonably dangerous (e.g., two-wheel scooters that are inherently unstable at speed or in wet conditions).
- Manufacturing defect: A specific scooter deviated from its intended design (e.g., a brake cable that was improperly crimped during assembly).
- Failure to warn: The company did not adequately warn riders about known risks (e.g., not disclosing that brakes can overheat and fail after prolonged downhill use on streets).
Because the rental companies and overseas manufacturers are often massive, well-funded corporations with teams of defense lawyers, these cases require substantial resources: independent engineering inspections, data downloads from the scooter’s “black box,” metallurgical testing, biomechanical analysis, and experienced expert witnesses who can explain complex technical failures to a Los Angeles jury.
Biren Law Group has successfully handled numerous product-defect cases against companies and their suppliers. We advance all costs for these experts so our clients never pay out of pocket. When evidence shows a pattern of ignored complaints or cost-cutting that puts profits over safety, California law also allows us to seek punitive damages designed to punish the company and deter future misconduct.
If your crash involved a sudden mechanical or software failure, time is of the essence. Scooter companies routinely retrieve and “recycle” damaged units within hours, permanently destroying critical evidence. Our team knows exactly how to issue legal preservation letters and, when necessary, obtain court orders to secure the scooter before it disappears.
Why E-Scooter Cases Are Different From Regular Accident Cases
E-scooter injury claims are not like typical car, truck, or motorcycle accident cases. At Biren Law Group, we have seen firsthand how the unique nature of these incidents creates significant legal and practical challenges that most traditional personal injury firms are simply not equipped to handle effectively.
Here are the key differences that make experienced, specialized representation absolutely essential:
- Limited and layered insurance coverage: While California drivers are required to carry at least $15,000/$30,000 in liability coverage (and many have $100,000+ policies), e-scooter rental companies often rely on policies with $1 million limits that must be shared among all claimants in a given year. In practice, this can mean aggressive efforts to lowball or deny legitimate claims before the policy is exhausted.
- Multi-party, complex liability: Fault is rarely clear-cut. Responsibility can be split among the rider, a negligent motorist, the scooter manufacturer or rental company (for a defect), the City of Los Angeles or a private property owner (for dangerous pavement), and even third-party maintenance contractors. Sorting out comparative fault percentages requires early, thorough investigation; something most firms do not have the resources or experience to do properly.
- Rapid evidence spoliation: Unlike a car crash, where vehicles remain at the scene or in a tow yard, rental scooter companies routinely locate, retrieve, and repair or destroy damaged scooters within hours using GPS tracking. Once that happens, the “black box” data, brake components, motor, and battery evidence are gone forever. We act immediately with preservation letters and, when needed, emergency court orders to stop this destruction.
- Unique and often understated injuries: Because speeds are typically 15–20 mph and riders have no protective shell, falls produce distinctive injury patterns: severe road rash requiring skin grafting, facial and dental fractures, orbital blows, scaphoid and distal radius fractures from outstretched arms, ACL tears, and traumatic brain injuries; even when a helmet was worn. Insurance adjusters frequently downplay these as “minor falls” until medical experts and life-care planners demonstrate the true long-term impact.
- Shorter claim deadlines against government entities: If a pothole, cracked sidewalk, or raised tree root in Brentwood, Westwood, or Santa Monica contributed to your crash, you have only six months to file a formal government claim; far shorter than the two-year statute for private parties.
- Aggressive defense tactics by well-funded companies: Major scooter operators and their insurers employ large national law firms that immediately investigate riders’ social media, geolocation history, and riding behavior to shift blame. Without an equally aggressive counter-strategy, injured riders are at a severe disadvantage.
Because of these complexities, e-scooter cases demand a law firm that understands both cutting-edge product liability law and the specific hazards of riding in Los Angeles. At Biren Law Group, we have built our practice around handling exactly these types of high-stakes, technically sophisticated claims, and we have the track record to prove it.
What to Do Immediately After an E-Scooter Accident
- Call 911 and request police and paramedics
- Take photos of the scooter (including QR code/serial number), your injuries, and the scene
- Get witness contact information
- Seek immediate medical attention; even if you “feel okay”
- Do not speak with the scooter company’s investigators or sign anything
- Contact Biren Law Group as soon as possible for a free consultation
Mistakes That Can Hurt Your Case
- Leaving the scene without documenting the scooter’s identification number
- Posting about the accident or your injuries on social media
- Giving a recorded statement to any insurance adjuster without counsel
- Waiting weeks to see a doctor (gaps in treatment hurt credibility)
- Accepting a quick settlement offer from the scooter company
How Much Is My Los Angeles E-Scooter Injury Case Worth?
The value of your case depends on:
- Severity and permanence of your injuries
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost wages and diminished earning capacity
- Pain, suffering, and emotional distress
- Disfigurement or disability
- Punitive damages (in cases of egregious manufacturer conduct)
At Biren Law Group, we refuse to give inflated or “guaranteed” settlement estimates over the phone. Many firms throw out unrealistic numbers to lure clients, only to leave them disappointed later. We believe in honest, thorough evaluation only after reviewing medical records, bills, wage loss documentation, and liability evidence.
This approach protects you from false expectations and ensures we fight for every dollar you truly deserve.
The Benefits of Hiring Biren Law Group for Your E-Scooter Injury Case
When you’re facing medical bills, lost income, and a scooter company or insurer that seems determined to pay as little as possible, having the right legal team makes all the difference. Here’s why injured riders throughout Brentwood and the greater Los Angeles area trust Biren Law Group:
- No fees unless we win, and no upfront costs: We advance all litigation expenses (expert retainers, court filing fees, medical record retrieval, depositions, and more) so you never pay a dime out of pocket. You owe us nothing unless and until we recover money for you.
- Direct access to an experienced attorney and team: From day one, your case is handled personally by a seasoned trial lawyer with decades of courtroom success; not passed off to junior associates or non-lawyer case managers. You’ll know exactly who is fighting for you.
- A proven track record against the toughest opponents: We have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients and are always prepared to take a case to trial if necessary.
- In-house investigators and premier expert network: Our investigative team moves quickly to preserve evidence and locate witnesses. We routinely retain experts trusted by California’s top courts.
- Personalized strategy built for Brentwood and West LA juries: Every case is different. Our local insight, combined with meticulous preparation, consistently produces superior outcomes for our clients.
- Compassionate, one-on-one guidance every step of the way: We understand how overwhelming an injury can be. Our team is here to explain your options clearly, coordinate medical care with trusted specialists, and keep you informed so you can focus on healing while we handle the legal battle.
Choosing the right attorney isn’t just about experience; it’s about choosing a firm that treats you like family and fights like your future depends on it. At Biren Law Group, that’s exactly what we do.
Take the First Step Today
If you were injured on an e-scooter anywhere in Los Angeles, call Biren Law Group now at (310) 774-0078 or complete our confidential contact form for a free, no-obligation case review.
Frequently Asked Questions About E-Scooter Accidents
Can I still recover compensation if I wasn’t wearing a helmet?
Absolutely. California does not have an adult helmet law for e-scooters, and lack of a helmet rarely bars recovery completely. The defense may argue comparative fault, but our firm can fight to overcome this argument.
How long do I have to file an e-scooter injury claim in Los Angeles?
Generally two years from the date of injury for personal injury claims, but only six months to file a claim against the City of Los Angeles if a dangerous roadway contributed. Missing these deadlines permanently bars your case.
What if the scooter suddenly braked and threw me off?
This is a classic product liability scenario. We have handled numerous product liability cases against companies and have the technical expertise to prove the defect.
Will my case go to trial?
Most cases settle out of court, but Biren Law Group prepares every case as if it will go to trial. This approach forces defendants to offer fair value rather than lowball settlements.
