Nashville Scooter Accident Lawyer

Nashville’s local scooter regulations dictate where and how riders can operate electric scooters in the city. Riders must be at least 18 and hold a valid driver’s license, and only one person can ride the scooter at a time. Riders are prohibited from riding electric scooters on the sidewalk within the city’s business districts, including downtown, areas with businesses such as Gallatin Pike, and many of East Nashville’s tourist hotspots.

Furthermore, riders must obey all traffic laws like any other vehicle. At the same time, motor vehicle drivers must practice due care when interacting with scooters.

When a scooter accident occurs in Nashville, these rules may come into play. Scooter accidents are often attributed to shared liability, with riders, scooter companies, and motor vehicle drivers all holding some degree of responsibility for the accident. A driver or rider failing to abide by the city ordinances may be held liable for any resulting damages, while a scooter company may be liable for failing to meet its duty of reasonable care to riders.

For example, if a scooter malfunctions due to an equipment failure, but the rider was speeding before the accident, the rider and scooter company may share liability. Or if a motor vehicle driver and a scooter rider were both distracted by their phones before colliding, both may be held responsible under Tenn. Code Ann. § 20-1-119, Tennessee’s comparative fault law. 

Tennessee’s comparative fault law allows injury victims to receive compensation if their share of the fault is lower than 50 percent. This law states that if a victim is partially responsible for the accident, their compensation will be decreased in proportion to their share of the blame.