Find an electric scooter accident lawyer in Scottsdale: where you can ride and who pays
In Scottsdale, motorized scooters are banned on streets posted at 40 mph or more, even in the bike lane. The city has no contract with scooter companies, so your claim is against the company, a driver or a property owner. You generally have 2 years to sue, but app terms may force arbitration.
Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (38)
Where can you legally ride an electric scooter in Scottsdale?
| Where | Allowed? | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Streets and bike lanes under 40 mph | Yes | Banned at 40 mph or more |
| Public sidewalks and shared-use paths | Yes, with care | Ride at a safe speed to avoid people and objects |
| Old Town covered sidewalks | City says avoid | They are private property and crowded |
| Fast devices near 21 mph, riders under 16 | No, on city property | Civil traffic offense, $100 minimum |
Under Arizona law a scooter rider has the rights and duties of a person on a bicycle, and scooters may use bicycle and multiuse paths unless a city bans them. Scooters are not subject to vehicle insurance rules, so a rider may have no policy at all.
Which scooter company is responsible in Scottsdale?
The city says scooter sharing companies are private businesses, much like ride sharing. It has no agreements with them, and we could not find a city list of which brands are operating now. Take a photo of the scooter and of the ride history in your app before anything changes.
Report the injury quickly. Lime's terms ask for a report within two hours of the accident through the app, and Bird's call for a police report within 24 hours when someone is hurt. Those are contract terms from the companies' own pages, so read the version you agreed to.
Did you give up your right to sue when you opened the scooter app?
Maybe not completely. The app terms often include:
- Final and binding arbitration instead of a lawsuit.
- A short window to opt out: Bird's notice must go out within 30 days of first use.
- A release that excludes gross negligence or willful misconduct.
- A waiver of claims against cities for dangerous public property.
- A clause saying a rider without a helmet waives claims.
Arizona has an unusual protection. Its constitution makes assumption of risk a question for the jury in every case, and that reaches written releases. Whether that helps depends on the wording and on federal arbitration rules, so bring your app terms to any first meeting.
Who pays if a car hits you on a scooter in Scottsdale?
Usually the driver's insurer, up to at least $25,000 per person in Arizona. Your own auto policy may add uninsured coverage, and Lime's terms say to treat your own motor vehicle insurance as primary. Lime says it may provide coverage in certain locations. Ask, but do not count on it.
Expect a fault fight. Riding in a place the rules ban does not end your case, but your award is cut by your share of the blame. Police report: Scottsdale Police handles city streets, and the report is sold through CARFAX CRASHDOCS.
What if a scooter or a bad road in Scottsdale caused your fall?
- If you tripped on a parked scooter, note that devices may not block the part of a sidewalk people mainly walk on.
- Report it on Scottsdale EZ, which sends it to the company contact and city staff right away.
- Photograph the surface and the spot. Find out who maintains it, because adjacent owners can be responsible for sidewalks.
- If the city is responsible, file a notice of claim within 180 days. A lawsuit must follow within one year.
How many people get hurt on scooters in Scottsdale?
We could not find a Scottsdale count. The city's crash report separates bicyclists and pedestrians, but not scooter riders. Nationally, the Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates about 380,000 emergency visits from 2017 through 2024, and it knows of 206 deaths, with motor vehicles and loss of control the top hazards.
What should you ask a scooter accident lawyer in Scottsdale?
- Does arbitration apply to me, and is my opt-out window still open?
- Who are all the possible defendants: rider, driver, company, property owner, city?
- Do you handle these under Arizona's jury rule on assumption of risk?
Questions
How long do I have to sue after a scooter accident in Scottsdale?
Generally 2 years. If a public agency is involved, a claim is due in 180 days.
Can I ride a scooter on the sidewalk in Scottsdale?
Yes, on public sidewalks and shared-use paths if you ride with care. The city asks riders to avoid Old Town's covered sidewalks.
Does the city of Scottsdale pay for scooter injuries?
Not because of the scooter. It has no agreement with the companies. A claim would need a separate reason, such as a dangerous road.
Do I lose my claim if I did not wear a helmet?
Not necessarily. Lime's terms try to waive it, but in Arizona assumption of risk goes to the jury.
Electric scooter accident in Scottsdale? See if you are owed money.
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See if I’m owed moneySources (38)
- City of Scottsdale, Electric Bikes, Scooters, checked 2026-11-08. “Motorized scooters are prohibited on streets (including bike lanes) with speed limits of 40 miles per hour or greater.”
- City of Scottsdale, checked 2026-11-09. “The city does not have agreements with individual bike or scooter share companies and does not charge a fee to operate in Scottsdale.”
- A.R.S. § 12-542, checked 2026-11-08. “within two years after the cause of action accrues”
- Lime User Agreement, checked 2026-11-09. “exclusively through final and binding arbitration instead of filing a lawsuit in court”
- Arizona Revised Statutes 28-819, checked 2026-11-09. “must have a unique identification that consists of letters or numbers, or both”
- Bird Rental Agreement, checked 2026-11-09. “The notice must be sent within 30 days of your first use of the Service”
- Arizona Revised Statutes 12-821.01, checked 2026-11-08. “within one hundred eighty days after the cause of action accrues”
- City of Scottsdale, checked 2026-11-09. “Micro mobility riders, just like pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers can be cited for moving violations.”
- City of Scottsdale, checked 2026-11-09. “they are allowed on public shared-use paths and sidewalks if the scooters are operated with care and at a safe speed to avoid colliding with pedestrians and objects”
- City of Scottsdale, checked 2026-11-09. “Avoid riding on the covered sidewalks in Old Town Scottsdale as they are private property and crowded with pedestrians, furniture and items for sale.”
- City of Scottsdale, checked 2026-11-09. “Prohibits persons under the age of sixteen (16) from operating class three electric bicycles, similar devices that can meet or exceed twenty-one (21) miles per hour (MPH) on city property.”
- City of Scottsdale, checked 2026-11-09. “A violation of this section is a civil traffic offense and shall be punished by a minimum of one hundred (100) dollars.”
- Arizona Revised Statutes 28-819, checked 2026-11-09. “is granted all the rights and privileges and is subject to all of the duties of a person riding a bicycle”
- Arizona Revised Statutes 28-819, checked 2026-11-09. “an electric standup scooter may be used on bicycle and multiuse paths”
- Arizona Revised Statutes 28-819, checked 2026-11-09. “is not subject to the provisions of this title relating to certificates of title, registration, vehicle license tax, driver licenses or vehicle insurance”
- City of Scottsdale, checked 2026-11-09. “All bike and electric mini-scooter sharing companies are private businesses that operate in a public environment, similar to automobile ride sharing companies.”
- Lime User Agreement, checked 2026-11-09. “to us within two (2) hours of the accident or incident via the Lime App”
- Bird Rental Agreement, checked 2026-11-09. “Rider shall file a report with the local police department within 24 hours.”
- Bird Rental Agreement, checked 2026-11-09. “except for Claims based on Released Persons' gross negligence or willful misconduct”
- Bird Rental Agreement, checked 2026-11-09. “RIDER EXPRESSLY WAIVES ALL CLAIMS AGAINST CITY FOR HARM CAUSED BY CITY NEGLIGENCE OR DANGEROUS CONDITIONS ON PUBLIC PROPERTY.”
- Lime User Agreement, checked 2026-11-09. “If you ride without a helmet and are injured as a result, you waive any and all claims against the Released Parties”
- Arizona Constitution, article 18, section 5, checked 2026-11-09. “The defense of contributory negligence or of assumption of risk shall, in all cases whatsoever, be a question of fact and shall, at all times, be left to the jury.”
- Phelps v. Firebird Raceway (Ariz. 2005), checked 2026-11-09. “applies to an express contractual assumption of risk. We hold that it does.”
- A.R.S. § 28-4009(A)(2)(b), checked 2026-11-08. “(i) $25,000 because of bodily injury to or death of one person in any one accident. (ii) Subject to the limit for one person, $50,000 because of bodily injury to or death of two or more persons in any one accident. (iii) $15,000 because of injury to or destruction of property of others in any one accident.”
- A.R.S. § 20-259.01(A), checked 2026-11-08. “Every insurer writing automobile liability or motor vehicle liability policies shall make available to the named insured thereunder and by written notice offer the named insured and at the request of the named insured shall include within the policy uninsured motorist coverage”
- Lime User Agreement, checked 2026-11-09. “You agree to use your own motor vehicle insurance as the primary insurance.”
- Lime User Agreement, checked 2026-11-09. “we may provide personal accident coverage and/or rider liability coverage”
- Arizona Revised Statutes 12-2505, checked 2026-11-09. “the full damages shall be reduced in proportion to the relative degree of the claimant's fault”
- Arizona DPS, Request Records, checked 2026-11-08. “If the report you are requesting was the result of a collision that occurred on a town, city or county road, contact the law enforcement agency in that jurisdiction.”
- Scottsdale Police, Records Request, checked 2026-11-08. “The Scottsdale Police Department has partnered with CARFAX CRASHDOCS.org to provide our collision reports online for convenience and secure access.”
- City of Scottsdale, Electric Bikes, Scooters, checked 2026-11-08. “Do not park devices on public sidewalks in areas that obstruct the portion used primarily by pedestrians.”
- City of Scottsdale, checked 2026-11-09. “When you submit a report via Scottsdale EZ it is immediately shared with the company contact and city staff.”
- Scottsdale Revised Code, Chapter 47, checked 2026-11-08. “the owner of property adjacent to the right-of-way shall maintain the following”
- A.R.S. § 12-821, checked 2026-11-09. “shall be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues and not afterward”
- City of Scottsdale, 2024 Traffic Volume and Collision Report, checked 2026-11-08. “involved bicyclists and 141 involved pedestrians”
- CPSC, checked 2026-11-09. “E-Scooters: There were an estimated total of 380,000 ED visits from 2017 through 2024”
- CPSC, checked 2026-11-09. “CPSC staff is aware of 206 fatalities from 2017 through 2024.”
- CPSC, checked 2026-11-09. “Motor vehicle accidents and control issues were the top hazards associated with e- scooter fatalities.”