A recently filed lawsuit against Santa Monica-based scooter company Lime alleges company officials neglected to properly maintain equipment, which led to severe injuries to riders.
The lawsuit from McGee, Lerer & Associates alleges more than 40 riders suffered grievous injuries resulting from defective brakes, wheels, throttles and handlebars. The complaint also alleges that Segway manufactured defective scooters and geofencing technicalities played a role in the injuries as well.
The complaint, which details the instances of a few dozen California residents who were injured between 2018 and 2019, was submitted to Los Angeles Superior Court officials Friday, Aug. 14, and comes on the heels of a similar lawsuit filed against Bird by McGee, Lerer & Associates back in May.
A number of the alleged instances in the suit occurred in Venice or Santa Monica, where the popular scooters have been a source of both frustration and excitement for locals.
“Plaintiff Rae Curwin is a California citizen who resides in Santa Monica, California. On October 18, 2018, Ms. Curwin rented a Lime scooter,” and while riding the scooter, the throttle stuck and Curwin was thrown off the electric scooter when attempting to turn and suffered a broken jaw as a result, the lawsuit states as it continues to allege similar instances of injury. “Plaintiff Daryl Kent is a California citizen who resides in Glass Valley, California. On July 31, 2018, Ms. Kent rented a Lime scooter in Santa Monica, California. The throttle suddenly and unexpectedly became stuck and Ms. Kent was unable to stop. Ms. Kent was thrown from the scooter, breaking her leg and her hand.”
But it’s not just riders who are described in the complaint.
Lime employs “juicers” to pick up the Lime scooters and charge them at their own residence before they eventually put the scooter back into public rotation once charged, according to the lawsuit. “Upon information and belief, the Lime ‘juicers’ are not paid by Lime until they charge the scooter and deploy it back into rotation, at a ‘LimeHub,’” and the juicers are also not paid if they inform Lime that the scooter is defective and do not place the scooter back into rotation.
“Upon information and belief, the juicers are not employed to maintain the scooters,” the lawsuit reads, stating the Lime scooters are defective, as manufactured and designed, or not properly maintained, which leads to a dangerous nuisance.
For these reasons and others, the complaint reads, the plaintiffs named in the lawsuit are seeking economic damages for past medical and related expenses and any other further relief the Court deems just and proper.
