Electric scooters are everywhere in Naperville now. You see them lined up outside the train station, parked near the Riverwalk, and zipping down streets in downtown. With more scooters comes more accidents. When someone gets hurt, they need help fast.
What Happens After a Scooter Crash
The first 48 hours matter. Your body might not hurt right away because of adrenaline. You might think you’re fine. Then three days later, your neck starts throbbing, or your shoulder won’t move right.
Here’s what you should do right after a crash:
Get checked by a doctor that same day. Tell them everything that hurts, even the small stuff. Take photos of your injuries, the scooter, and where it happened. Get names and phone numbers from anyone who saw what happened. Write down what you remember while it’s fresh.
Insurance companies move fast after scooter accidents. They want to close your case before you know how badly you’re hurt. A claims adjuster might call you the next day with a check offer. They sound nice and helpful, but they work for the other side.
Don’t sign anything or give a recorded statement without talking to a scooter accident lawyer in Naperville first.
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Common Injuries from Scooter Accidents
Scooter riders get hurt differently than people in cars. You don’t have a metal frame protecting you. When something goes wrong, your body takes the full impact.
Head injuries happen often, even when people wear helmets. You might get a concussion and not realize it for days. Symptoms like headaches, trouble sleeping, or feeling foggy can show up later.
Road rash sounds simple, but it’s not. Deep scrapes get infected easily. The scarring can be permanent. Treatment takes months of wound care and sometimes skin grafts.
Broken bones are common, too. Wrists, collarbones, and ankles break when riders try to catch themselves during a fall. Some breaks need surgery with pins and plates. Recovery can take six months or longer.
Back and neck injuries affect your whole life. A herniated disc might need injections or surgery. You could end up with chronic pain that never fully goes away.
Who Pays for Your Injuries
Figuring out who owes you money gets complicated fast. Multiple parties might share the blame.
The driver who hit you should pay if they caused the crash. Their auto insurance should cover your medical bills, lost wages, and pain. But some drivers don’t have enough insurance. Others have none at all.
The scooter company might be responsible if the scooter had mechanical problems. Broken brakes or battery fires happen more than companies admit. They have deeper pockets than most drivers.
The city could be at fault if a pothole or damaged sidewalk caused your crash. Government claims have strict deadlines and special rules. You might have just six months to file a notice.
Property owners must keep their sidewalks safe. If a business lets its delivery area become dangerous or doesn’t fix known hazards, it might have to pay.
A scooter accident lawyer in Naperville knows how to investigate all these possibilities. We find every source of compensation available.
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How Insurance Companies Fight Scooter Claims
Insurance adjusters use tricks to pay less or deny claims completely. They act friendly while working against you.
They’ll say you were partly at fault. Illinois follows a modified comparative negligence rule. If you’re found more than 50% responsible, you get nothing. Even if you’re 20% at fault, your compensation drops by 20%.
Adjusters claim your injuries came from something else. They’ll dig through old medical records looking for previous injuries to the same body part. “See, your back was already hurt in 2019, so we’re not paying for this.”
They’ll argue you didn’t need that treatment. Insurance companies hire doctors who review your file and say the MRI wasn’t needed or the physical therapy was too long. These doctors never actually examine you.
They make lowball offers, hoping you don’t know better. Someone who’s never handled a scooter case might think $15,000 sounds like a lot. An experienced Naperville scooter accident lawyer knows that the case is worth $75,000.
What Your Case Is Worth
Every scooter accident case is different. But certain factors affect how much you can recover.
Your medical bills are the foundation. This includes emergency room visits, surgeries, physical therapy, medications, and future treatment you’ll need. We get documentation from all your doctors showing what care you required.
Lost income matters if you missed work. This covers sick days, vacation time you burned, and reduced hours. If your injury changed your ability to work long-term, that counts too.
Pain and suffering can be the biggest part. Illinois law lets you recover for physical pain, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and disability. A broken leg that heals in three months is different than one that requires two surgeries and leaves you with a permanent limp.
Property damage includes your damaged phone, torn clothes, and broken helmet. These are usually small amounts, but they add up.
Some cases involve punitive damages if the driver was drunk or did something really dangerous. These are meant to punish the wrongdoer, not just compensate you.
Scooter Accident Representation
Shuman Legal has handled scooter cases throughout DuPage County. We know the roads where accidents happen most. Aurora Avenue near the downtown train station sees multiple crashes every month. Route 59 is dangerous for scooter riders, especially near the Naperville Crossings shopping area.
We’ve dealt with every major insurance company. We know which adjusters play fair and which ones fight dirty. That knowledge helps us push harder when needed.
Our team includes investigators who document crash scenes, medical experts who explain your injuries, and accident reconstruction specialists who prove how the crash happened. When we take your case, we’re building it for trial from day one. Insurance companies know this and take us seriously.
Injury Compensation Claims
Starting your claim the right way makes a difference. Many people make mistakes that hurt their case before they even hire a scooter accident lawyer in Naperville.
Don’t post about your accident on social media. Insurance companies scan Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok looking for evidence against you. That photo of you smiling at dinner gets used to claim you’re not really hurt.
Follow your doctor’s treatment plan exactly. Missing appointments gives insurance companies ammunition. “If he was really in pain, why did he skip physical therapy three times?”
Keep a daily journal of your symptoms. Write down pain levels, activities you can’t do anymore, and how the injury affects your daily life. This creates a record that helps your lawyer prove your case.
Save every receipt related to the accident. Uber rides to doctor appointments, over-the-counter pain medication, the back brace you had to buy, it all counts.
Personal Injury Legal Services
Hiring a lawyer means you don’t face the insurance company alone. Your Naperville scooter accident lawyer handles everything so you can focus on healing.
We deal with the adjusters. You won’t get any more phone calls asking for statements or requesting to look at your medical records. All communication goes through us.
We gather evidence the right way. This means getting the police report, tracking down witnesses, obtaining surveillance video before it gets deleted, and hiring experts when needed.
We calculate the true value of your case. Too many people settle for whatever the insurance company offers first. We know what similar cases settle for and what juries award at trial.
We negotiate hard. Insurance companies know we’ll go to trial if they don’t offer fair money. Our 95% success rate means we win almost every case we take.
Have you been injured in a Scooter Accident? Get FREE Legal Advice Now!
Medical Treatment After a Scooter Crash
Getting proper medical care is about more than just healing. It also protects your legal rights.
Go to the emergency room or urgent care right away, even if you feel okay. Some injuries don’t show symptoms immediately. Having medical records from the day of the crash proves your injuries came from the accident.
Be honest with doctors about all your symptoms. Downplaying your pain doesn’t make you tough; it just gives insurance companies ammunition to argue you weren’t really hurt.
Follow up with specialists when recommended. If the ER doctor says to see an orthopedic surgeon, do it. If they want you to get an MRI, schedule it quickly. Delays look bad to insurance adjusters and juries.
Keep going to appointments even when you start feeling better. Stopping treatment early makes it seem like you recovered fully. Then the insurance company argues you don’t need more compensation.
Some people worry about medical bills they can’t pay. Tell Shuman Legal’s scooter accident lawyer in Naperville about this. We can often arrange for doctors to wait for payment until your case settles.
Accident Investigation Services
The details of how your crash happened make or break your case. We investigate thoroughly to build the strongest claim possible.
We visit the crash site ourselves. Photos from your phone help, but we need to see the location in person. Is there a stop sign hidden by tree branches? Does the road have a dangerous angle that makes it hard for drivers to see scooters? These details matter.
We request traffic camera footage and videos from nearby businesses. In downtown Naperville, many stores have security cameras pointing at the street. This footage usually gets deleted after 30 days, so we move fast.
We interview witnesses properly. A witness who said “the car came out of nowhere” needs to give more detail. Where exactly were they standing? What specifically did they see in the seconds before impact? We get affidavits signed while memories are fresh.
We obtain the police report and check it for errors. Sometimes officers make mistakes about what happened or who was at fault. We know how to correct these errors before they hurt your case.
We hire accident reconstruction experts when needed. These specialists use physics and engineering to prove exactly how the crash occurred. For serious cases, this expert testimony can mean the difference between winning and losing.
Settlement Negotiation
Most scooter accident cases settle before trial. But getting a fair settlement takes work.
We don’t negotiate until we understand the full extent of your injuries. If you’re still in treatment, we wait. Settling too early means leaving money on the table if complications develop later.
We send detailed demand letters backed by evidence. This isn’t a simple request for money. It’s a comprehensive presentation showing liability, proving damages, and demonstrating why our number is fair.
We counter lowball offers with facts. When an adjuster offers $20,000 for a case worth $80,000, we explain exactly why they’re wrong. We break down medical expenses, lost wages, and future costs line by line.
We know when to push and when to walk away. If negotiations stall, we file a lawsuit. Many insurance companies don’t make serious offers until they see we’re willing to go to trial.
Trial Representation
Some cases need to go to court. Maybe the insurance company refuses to offer fair money. Maybe they deny the claim entirely. When negotiation fails, we’re ready for trial.
We prepare every case like it’s going to trial from the start. This means getting expert reports done early, taking depositions of key witnesses, and building a timeline of events that a jury can follow easily.
Jury selection matters in scooter cases. We look for people who ride bikes or scooters themselves. They understand the vulnerability of riding without a car’s protection. We avoid jurors who think scooter riders are reckless.
Opening statements frame the entire trial. We tell your story in a way that makes jurors care about what happened to you. Facts matter, but emotion wins cases too.
We present evidence clearly. Medical testimony can get technical. We use visual aids, animations, and simple language to help jurors understand complex injuries.
Cross-examination exposes the insurance company’s weak arguments. Their hired doctors usually crumble under pressure when we point out they spent 20 minutes reviewing your file while your treating physician saw you for months.
Closing arguments tie everything together. We remind jurors of the evidence, explain the law, and ask for specific dollar amounts supported by facts.
Legal Consultation Services
Your first meeting with us costs nothing. We want to hear what happened and explain your options without any pressure.
Bring whatever documents you have. Police reports, medical records, photos of your injuries, and insurance letters all help us understand your situation. But don’t worry if you don’t have everything yet, we can get it.
We’ll ask questions about the accident. Where and when it happened. Whether you saw the vehicle coming. What you remember about the moments before impact. Your answers help us figure out who’s at fault.
We’ll want to know about your injuries and treatment. What hurts. Which doctors you’ve seen. What they’ve told you about recovery. Whether you’ve missed work.
We’ll explain the legal process in plain language. How long cases typically take. What steps come next. When you might expect settlement discussions to begin.
We’ll tell you honestly whether you have a case. Not every accident leads to a claim. Sometimes the rider was clearly at fault, or the injuries are too minor to justify legal action. We won’t waste your time on a case that won’t succeed.
If we take your case, we work on contingency. That means no upfront fees and no hourly charges. We get paid only when you get paid. Our fee comes as a percentage of your settlement or verdict.
Contact Shuman Legal Today
Scooter accidents turn your life upside down. One minute you’re riding to work, the next you’re in an ambulance, wondering how you’ll pay your bills.
You don’t have to figure this out alone. Shuman Legal has been helping injured people in Naperville and throughout Illinois since 1986. We’ve recovered millions of dollars for clients hurt in accidents like yours.
Marc J. Shuman and his team know how to handle scooter cases. We investigate thoroughly, negotiate aggressively, and try cases when necessary. Insurance companies take us seriously because they know we’re willing to fight.
The consultation is free. The advice is honest. And you don’t pay unless we win.
Call (800) 722-9744 or visit our Naperville office at 2135 City Gate Lane, Suite 300. Let’s talk about what happened and how we can help you move forward.
Don’t wait. Evidence disappears, witnesses forget, and Illinois law gives you a limited time to file a claim. The sooner you call, the stronger your case will be.
Have you been injured in a Scooter Accident? Get FREE Legal Advice Now!
