What Judge Lisa Jaskol’s Bird Scooter Ruling Says About an E-Scooter Accident Lawyer in Los Angeles and Your Rights After a Bird or Lime Injury

TL;DR

A Bird or Lime ride can turn into a serious injury in seconds. An e-scooter accident lawyer in Los Angeles can help you understand who may be responsible and what your rights may be after a crash.

You see them everywhere in Los Angeles.

Bird. Lime. One is sitting near the curb. Another is leaning against a wall. Someone rides past you on one, almost silently.

They look simple enough. Scan the code, step on, and go.

But what happens when the scooter stops working? What if a car cuts in front of you? What if someone leaves a scooter in the middle of a sidewalk and you trip over it?

Now the ride is not simple at all.

That is when your rights after a Bird or Lime injury can become important. You may have medical bills, missed work, or an injury that keeps hurting long after the scooter is gone. And you may not know who should answer for it.

The first question after a crash is often simple.

Who caused it?

But the answer may not be.

Let’s say you are riding a Lime scooter down a Los Angeles street. A driver turns without looking and hits you. The driver may be responsible.

Now change the story.

Your scooter’s brake does not work. You try to stop, but you cannot. You crash into a parked car and suffer a broken wrist.

That raises a different question.

Could the scooter company have done something wrong?

California law generally requires people to use reasonable care to avoid hurting others. In Hacala v. Bird Rides, Inc., a woman in Los Angeles tripped over a Bird scooter that had been left on a sidewalk. The California Court of Appeal said her claims against Bird could move forward because the allegations raised questions about Bird’s duty to use reasonable care in managing its scooters.

That case matters because the rider did not cause the accident.

Someone else left the scooter there.

The court still looked at Bird’s possible role.

So, who is liable for e-scooter accident injuries?

It could be a driver. It could be a rider. It could be a scooter company. In some cases, another property owner or public entity may also matter.

The facts come first.

A Lime scooter injury lawsuit can look different from one accident to another. But the basic questions are easier to understand when you break them down.

1. What Happened?

Start with the crash itself.

Where were you? What were you doing? What did the other person do? Did the scooter work as it should?

For example, suppose you press the brake, and nothing happens. That small detail could become very important later.

2. Who May Have Caused the Danger?

Was another driver speeding?

Did someone leave a scooter across a sidewalk?

Did a scooter part break?

Did a company know about a problem and fail to fix it?

These questions can point to different people or companies.

3. What Proof Exists?

Take pictures if you can safely do so.

Keep medical records. Save your scooter rental information. Keep bills and receipts. Write down what you remember while the details are still fresh.

Why?

Because memories fade. A screenshot does not.

4. What Do the Court Cases Say?

Recent California Supreme Court cases also show why the details matter.

In Whitehead v. City of Oakland (2025), the court looked at a liability waiver signed before a bicycle ride. The court held that a waiver could not excuse a public agency from responsibility for violating a law that required safe public roads.

That does not mean every Bird or Lime waiver is invalid.

It means a waiver is not automatically the end of the story. The court must look at the claim, the duty involved, and the law behind it.

In Rattagan v. Uber Technologies, Inc. (2024), the California Supreme Court also examined the difference between contract duties and independent duties under tort law. The court explained that a physical injury can change that analysis because tort law protects people from certain harm beyond the promises written in a contract.

Why does that matter here?

A scooter rental agreement may contain many pages of legal terms. But if someone suffers a physical injury, the question does not always stop with the rental agreement.

5. What About the Deadline?

This is another place where details matter.

In Gutierrez v. Tostado (2025), the California Supreme Court held that a two-year deadline for general negligence applied because the claim involved a duty owed to the public, not a special medical duty.

The case was about an ambulance crash, not an e-scooter.

So, why mention it?

Because it shows an important rule: the legal nature of the claim can affect the deadline. Do not assume every injury claim follows the same rule.

Judge Lisa R. Jaskol handled a Los Angeles Superior Court case involving a pedestrian who said she tripped over an unattended Bird scooter on a sidewalk near West Olympic Boulevard.

The facts sound almost ordinary.

A scooter was left on a sidewalk. A person was walking. She did not see it. She fell.

But the legal questions were not ordinary.

The case raised issues about who owned the sidewalk, who controlled it, who owned the scooter, and who may have known that scooters were being left there. Judge Jaskol’s 2025 ruling examined those facts in deciding claims involving the property owner.

That is useful for readers because it shows why (who is liable for an e-scooter accident) injuries cannot be answered with one sentence.

Think about finding a scooter blocking a walkway outside a business: 

• Did the business put it there? 
• Did a customer? 
• Did the scooter company? 
• Did anyone know it was there?

Those details can change the legal analysis.

And that is exactly why a scooter injury case needs facts, not guesses.

It may be, depending on what happened and who was responsible.

A claim can involve different types of losses.

California also uses comparative negligence.

What does that mean?

Suppose a driver was mostly responsible for a crash, but you were also partly at fault. Your share of fault can affect the amount you may recover.

The California Supreme Court established California’s comparative negligence system in Li v. Yellow Cab Co. The rule divides responsibility based on each party’s share of fault rather than automatically blocking a claim because the injured person also made a mistake.

So, a person does not necessarily lose a claim just because they made one mistake.

The real question is how the facts fit the law.

You do not need a detective’s office to start collecting useful evidence.

Start with what you have.

• Take photos of the scooter and the place where you fell.
• Save the Bird or Lime ride information.
• Write down the date, time, and location.
• Get contact details for people who saw the crash.
• Keep medical records and bills.
• Keep proof of missed work or lost income.
• Save photographs of visible injuries.
• Do not throw away damaged personal property before documenting it.

Why keep all of this?

Think about a broken phone.

You may remember exactly what happened. But weeks later, someone may ask, “How do you know the phone was damaged in this crash?”

A photograph taken that day can answer the question.

The same idea applies to the scooter, the road, the sidewalk, and your injuries.

• A Bird or Lime accident does not automatically make the rider responsible.
• A driver, rider, scooter company, property owner, or another party may be involved, depending on the facts.
• The Hacala case shows that a Bird scooter company may face a negligence claim over a dangerous scooter placement.
• Recent California Supreme Court cases show why duties, waivers, contracts, and filing deadlines need careful review.
• Photos, rental records, medical records, witness information, and other evidence can help explain what really happened.

A scooter ride can take only a few minutes.

An injury can last much longer.

Maybe a driver turned without looking. Maybe a scooter brake failed. Maybe a Bird scooter blocked a sidewalk. Maybe you simply do not know what caused the crash yet.

Those details matter.

Blair & Ramirez LLP can help you understand your legal options after an e-scooter injury. A free consultation can give you a clearer picture of the issues in your case, the evidence that may matter, and the options available to you.

Learn more or request a consultation with Blair & Ramirez LLP.