E-Bike and E-Scooter Accidents Are Rising: What New Orleans-Area Riders Should Know
E-bikes and electric scooters have become part of everyday life around New Orleans, Metairie and the surrounding area. They are convenient, relatively inexpensive and fun to ride. But the increase in use has come with a troubling increase in serious injuries.
The latest U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission data estimates approximately 138,500 emergency-department-treated injuries involving e-bikes and e-scooters in 2024 alone — approximately 79,300 involving e-scooters and 59,200 involving e-bikes. And this isn’t just a national issue.
NOPD reported four e-bike rider deaths in New Orleans during the first six months of 2026. Police have emphasized visibility, reflectors and obeying traffic laws as important safety concerns.
At Bono Law Firm, we believe riders and their families need to understand not only how to ride safely, but what happens legally and financially when an accident occurs.
Why These Accidents Can Be So Serious
Unlike someone inside a car, an e-bike or scooter rider has almost nothing protecting them from a vehicle, pavement or curb. The CPSC reports that motor-vehicle collisions are the leading cause of reported e-bike fatalities. In its 2024 study of e-bike injuries, 24% involved a motor vehicle, while 58% of injured riders were riding on paved roads. Helmets are extremely important, but they cannot eliminate every risk — some of the riders killed in New Orleans this year were reportedly wearing helmets when they crashed. Riders should also use lights and reflectors at night, obey traffic signals, travel with traffic and assume motorists may not see them.
Louisiana’s New 51% Fault Rule Makes Evidence Even More Important
A major change in Louisiana law took effect January 1, 2026. For accidents occurring on or after that date, an injured person who is found 51% or more at fault cannot recover damages. If the injured person is less than 51% at fault, the recovery is reduced by his or her percentage of fault. That can be particularly important in an e-bike or scooter case. An insurance company may argue that the rider was traveling the wrong way, failed to yield, ignored a traffic signal, was riding somewhere prohibited, or otherwise contributed to the accident. That makes photographs, witnesses, surveillance video and other evidence extremely important.
=Who Pays When an E-Bike or Scooter Rider Is Hurt?
There isn’t one answer. Depending on how the crash occurred, potential compensation may involve:
The driver’s liability insurance if a car or truck caused the accident.
Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, depending on the accident and the language of the applicable policy.
A scooter or bike company if negligent maintenance contributed to the accident.
A manufacturer or seller if a defective component caused the crash.
A public entity in certain cases involving a dangerous roadway condition.
E-bike and scooter cases can become complicated quickly because the insurance coverage is not always as obvious as it is in a typical two-car accident.
Louisiana E-Bike and Scooter Laws Matter Too
Louisiana generally treats qualifying e-bikes similarly to bicycles, although different rules apply to different classes of e-bikes. For example, Louisiana requires helmets for riders and passengers on Class 3 electric-assisted bicycles. Louisiana law separately regulates qualifying electric low-speed scooters. State law allows them on sidewalks, bicycle paths and highways, although state and local governments may impose additional restrictions. The statute also requires appropriate brakes and, when riding at night, lights or reflective equipment. Riders under 17 must wear an approved helmet. Because local rules can differ, riders should know the regulations where they are riding.
A Special Warning for Parents
Some of the most alarming data involves children and teenagers. A new analysis by health-data firm Truveta — drawing on more than 12,000 emergency room visits across 30 U.S. health systems and reported by USA Today — found that ER visits for e-bike and e-scooter injuries among children and adolescents rose 67%, with injury rates for young riders surging roughly 7.5-fold between early 2023 and mid-2026. More than a third of injured patients suffered head or neck injuries, and nearly 7% of child and adolescent visits involved a traumatic brain injury.
That tracks with broader federal data: injury surveillance estimates suggest roughly 4 in 10 e-bike injury ER visits in 2024–2025 involved riders between the ages of 10 and 19, and pediatric trauma doctors report that children on e-bikes wear helmets less often and are hospitalized at higher rates than kids on regular bikes.
The reason is simple physics: many e-bikes reach 20 to 28 mph, and a child’s crash at that speed produces injuries doctors describe as motor-vehicle trauma — not the scraped knees of ordinary childhood bike riding.
Louisiana law already sets some limits — riders and passengers on the fastest Class 3 e-bikes must wear helmets, and scooter riders under 17 must wear an approved helmet. But parents shouldn’t stop at the legal minimum. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends weighing a child’s age, riding ability, and understanding of traffic rules before allowing them on an e-bike at all. Beyond that: check the machine’s top speed, insist on a quality helmet every single ride, set boundaries on where and when they ride, and talk about riding with traffic and obeying signals. Some cities around the country are now restricting young riders entirely — a sign of how seriously the medical community is taking this.
What Should You Do After an E-Bike or Scooter Accident?
If you are involved in a serious crash:
Get medical attention.
Report the accident to police.
Photograph the scene, vehicles, bike or scooter, injuries and roadway conditions.
Get witness names and contact information.
Save the bike or scooter and identify any rental unit number.
Avoid giving a recorded statement to an insurance company before understanding your rights.
Act quickly to preserve video, GPS and other electronic evidence.
Louisiana generally provides a two-year period for delictual injury claims arising on or after July 1, 2024, but waiting is still a mistake. Surveillance footage can be erased and electronic data can disappear long before the legal deadline arrives.
Injured on an E-Bike or Scooter? Talk Directly to a Bono.
Bono Law Firm has represented injured people throughout Greater New Orleans since 1980. When you call our office, you speak directly with John C. Bono or Michael P. Bono — not a case manager or call center.
We investigate who caused the accident, what insurance applies, whether other parties may be responsible, and what evidence needs to be preserved. If you or someone in your family has been injured while riding an e-bike or electric scooter, call Bono Law Firm at 504-835-9909 for a free consultation.
No fee unless we recover.
Learn more about E-Bike & Electric Scooter Accident Claims
Bono Law Firm, APLC | Metairie, Louisiana | Serving Greater New Orleans and surrounding parishes. This article provides general information and is not legal advice.
