Scooters can be fast and fun, but that’s only until you wind up seriously hurt on one. If you or someone you know was recently hurt in a scooter accident and your ankle was harmed in the process, you might be entitled to compensation. Your best bet to move forward from this unfortunate accident is to discuss your legal case with a personal injury attorney, like the trusted team at Morgan & Morgan.
The popularity of scooters means that more people, even adults, are on the move with these devices. But scooters do come with a risk.
If you were injured on a popular scooter because of the actions or inactions of others, reach out to Morgan & Morgan for a free case evaluation to learn more about your legal options.
The Reality of Scooter Injuries
Your child may have pressed you to get a scooter, but you may not have realized that it had the potential to leave them with serious injuries. An ankle injury from a scooter could seriously harm your child and leave them with far-reaching consequences and medical conditions to treat. As a parent, it is natural to wonder whether or not you have the legal right to pursue compensation. Not every situation involving ankle injury scooter accidents will necessarily become a lawsuit, but hiring experienced and qualified lawyers when you believe that an incident of negligence has happened is extremely important.
The attorneys at Morgan & Morgan know that it can be overwhelming to recover from any injury, particularly an ankle injury caused by a scooter. Scooter injuries are something most people don't recognize because of the fun promoted in the marketing surrounding scooters.
Scooters seem relatively safe and close enough to the ground such that they should not cause serious injuries. However, a recent study published in Clinical Pediatrics found that kick scooters are responsible for a 40% increase in injuries over the last two decades. Even for those people wearing a helmet, an ankle injury from a scooter is still a common issue. You might have a broken foot or other leg injury after such an accident, and if someone else caused this scenario, you should not have to pay the price.
In some cases, it might not be only your ankle impacted. Your entire foot could suffer problems, or you might even be diagnosed with a leg injury. There's a high price tag associated with recovering from injuries like a broken foot or injured knee, and you might even have to use mobility aids like knee scooters or knee walkers during your recovery period. Of course, this will impact your day-to-day life and could even impact your work and ability to earn income.
Common Causes of Ankle Injury Scooter Lawsuits
Some of the most common ankle injury scooter cases include problems, such as fractures and sprains, cuts and abrasions, and contusions. Fractures and sprains should always be taken seriously, and that includes taking your child to a podiatrist as soon as possible. Rest, ice, compression, and elevation should all be used up until this point. For cuts and abrasions, treat on a case-by-case basis. Some minor injuries can be treated with band-aids and antibacterials, but other more serious injuries may require a visit to a pediatrician or the emergency room.
For contusions, which are similar to large bruises, it is important to visit with a podiatrist to rule out more serious injuries. Children undergoing growth spurts are also at risk for another type of ankle injury scooters can cause. This is known as plantar fasciitis due to heel pain starting between ages 8 and 13 for girls and between ages 8 and 15 for boys. The growth plate of the heel bone involves a strip of soft tissue where new bone is forming to accommodate lengthening feet. Constantly pushing down on the scooter, repeated pounding, or overuse can all cause inflammation and heel pain affecting the plantar fascia. Achilles tendon issues are another type of ankle injury scooter case.
Although it is important to be physically active, it is also important to be mindful of your child's development and to ensure that they wear a helmet every time they are using a scooter.