Mobility Scooter Accidents
Millions of adults with mobility impairments are able to live independently. This is due in part to their own resourcefulness, in part due to technological advances in medical treatments and medical equipment and in part due to laws about accommodations for people with disabilities. For example, motorized wheelchairs and scooters enable their users to move around their homes, run errands, and commute to work with little or no assistance from other people. These are sophisticated machines, often custom-made. Likewise, the Americans with Disabilities Act requires public sidewalks and most buildings to have wheelchair ramps. People who use wheelchairs get used to navigating the accessible routes in their hometowns. South Florida’s public transportation offerings pale in comparison to those of many other major cities, but Broward County at least has BCT buses, and these buses have accessibility features that make it possible for customers to ride the bus with their wheelchairs or mobility scooters. A South Florida man died after his mobility scooter collapsed during his usual ride on a BCT bus. If you suffered injuries in an accident involving a mobility scooter, contact a Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorney.
Sharp Turn Causes Bus Passenger’s Mobility Scooter to Tip Over, Causing Fatal Injuries
Mark Settipane remained active and socially connected even after muscular dystrophy took away his ability to walk. He began experiencing symptoms of muscular dystrophy when he was a young man, and by the time he was in his 40s, he needed a wheelchair full-time. By the time he was in his 50s, he was using a mobility scooter. Even though he could not travel frequently to Massachusetts, where his father lived, he used to talk to his father on the phone several times per week; they often talked when Mark was riding the bus.
Public buses are supposed to have restraints for wheelchairs and scooters, and bus drivers should ensure that these mobility devices are properly restrained. One day in 2015, when Mark was riding a BCT bus, the bus made a sharp turn near the Fort Lauderdale airport. The turn caused Mark’s scooter to fall over. Other riders came to his aid and asked if he needed to go to the hospital, but he said that he did not feel like he was injured.
When Mark got home, he began having chest pains and shortness of breath, and he called 911. At the hospital, doctors diagnosed him with a collapsed lung and several broken ribs. He was admitted to the hospital, but he died of his injuries six days later. He was 56 years old.
Mark’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against BCT. The case went to trial, as BCT argued that it was Mark’s responsibility to secure his scooter with the restraints that were present on the bus. Eventually, the case went to trial, and in August 2018, the court awarded the plaintiffs $109,000 in damages.
Set Up a Consultation Today
A personal injury lawyer can help you get justice after a preventable accident involving a mobility scooter. Contact Boone & Davis in Fort Lauderdale, Florida or call 954-566-9919 to explore your potential recovery options today.
Source:
sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fl-sb-broward-settles-death-tipped-scooter-on-bus-20180810-story.html
