Scooter injuries in Colorado are on the rise

You may have seen them zooming around 16th Street or Larimer Square downtown, or you may have rented one of the colorful devices yourself: scooters are everywhere! They were introduced on a wide scale in Denver in July 2018. A recent study by Denver Health shows that with the rise in popularity, orthopedic injuries related to scooters are also increasing.  

Denverites ride rentable scooters an average of 17,000 times a day, and sometimes as many as 30,000 times a day, according to the city’s Micromobility Dashboard. It’s easy to see why – scooters are cheap, easy, fast, and fun, enabling people to save money by not taking cars or other vehicles to where they need to go within the city.  

Scooter injuries are becoming more common in Denver 

But at the same time, it can be easy to be injured. Denver Health’s study compared the rate of scooter-related injuries before and after the large-scale introduction in Denver, using data from Emergency Department visits. Physicians found that they started seeing more and more scooter-related injuries, an average of 3.6 a day, just at Denver Health.  

Types of scooter injuries 

The injuries are frequently serious, with 34% of patients requiring an inpatient hospital stay and 40% requiring a related surgery. Most commonly, riders injured their upper extremities, with riders trying to stop themselves with their hands or arms if they fell. Many patients also experience concussions or traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), since scooter riders may be less likely to wear a helmet while riding. It is also possible to suffer a catastrophic injury. The Denver Medical Examiner reports that five people have died in scooter-related accidents since 2019, three of those involving a motor vehicle.  

It is important to understand the rules and risks while riding scooters and to take reasonable safety precautions. You may still become injured while riding due to no fault of your own – many scooter riders have been injured because a car did not see them or stopped suddenly in front of them. You may also have been injured by a careless scooter rider.  

If you have experienced any scooter-related injuries due to the negligence of another, an experienced Denver-area personal injury attorney like me can help. Call 303-339-8846 to discuss your individual case. You can also schedule your free consultation with me at my office, at your home, or on Zoom/Facetime/Webex by clicking here.