Trouble on Two Wheels – Why It’s Better To Walk

Everyone has seen them as they grow in quantity and popularity, but are they safe? Proponents of the Segway© two-wheeled electric scooter argue that it is very safe given a little practice. If it is so safe, then what happened to British businessperson, Mr. James (“Jimi”) Heselden? Mr. Heselden’s body, and Segway©, were found in the river near the city of Boston Spa, approximately 150 miles north of London, England, on September 26, 2010. (http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Latest-News-Wires/2010/0927/Segway-company-owner-Did-he-drive-Segway-off-a-cliff) It was reported to the West Yorkshire Police that a witness saw a man falling over thirty feet off a cliff and into the river. Proponents of the Segway© might argue that Mr. Heselden must not have been very experienced in the use of his Segway©. However, Mr. Heselden had vast experience with the Segway©: Mr. Heselden was actually the gentlemen who owned the Segway© company. Was Mr. Heselden’s death a freak occurrence? Unfortunately, no. In April 2011, The Annals of Emergency Medicine, an international medical journal, published the article “Serious Injuries Related to the Segway Personal Transportation: A Case Series.” This article was a retrospective case review of 41 Americans who sustained Segway©-related injuries serious enough to force them to seek emergency medical treatment (Annals of Emergency Medicine, Volume 57, Issue 4 , Pages 370-374, April 2011). After an intense look at the injuries sustained, the article concluded that the severity of the trauma in patients injured while using their Segway© was significant and a further investigation was warranted. Id. Dr. May Pat McKay, of George Washington University, reports that all of the injuries were sustained by riders simply falling off their Segway©, primarily from striking an inanimate object, such as a tree, bench, pole or high curb. Dr. McKay also remarked that “victims suffered massive facial trauma, brain injuries and serious fractures of clavicles, ribs ankles and arms.” (http://www.nbcnews.com/id/39382682/ns/health-health_care/t/segway-scooters-can-lead-serious-injuries-experts-warn/) Ms. Carol Drohan, of Ellington, Connecticut, is a survivor of a severe Segway© Injury. On March 25, 2010, Ms. Drohan was riding “a Segway© in a sightseeing tour [when a] rubber street cone flew in front of her Segway©, causing [her] to fall” to the street. Id. During the fall, Ms. Drohan’s right leg became tangled in the Segway©, thereby dislocating her ankle and breaking her leg in three places. Six months after Ms. Drohan’s emergency surgery, her leg is fastened together with plates and screws, and she continues to walk with a cane and to take regular physical therapy. Id. Injuries such as Ms. Drohan’s are now being monitored by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which has acknowledged the problems with the Segway©, and is capable of issuing a recall of dangerous consumer products. In fact, in 2006 the CPSC recalled approximately 23,000 Segways©. Id. Ms. Drohan is not alone in her story about using a Segway© and sustaining injury as a result. Countless other consumers have come forward and are sharing their stories about the injuries sustained while using Segways© due to someone else’s negligence, product defect design or defective maintenance. However, these injured consumers often require the representation of attorneys in order to be made whole. Every manufacturer and product developer is responsible for the safety of the goods that they produce (Restatement 2nd of Torts § 398). If you, or a loved one, have been injured by a defective and unreasonably dangerous product, call the experienced personal injury attorneys with Arguello Law Firm at 1-888 CLAIM-68 to discuss your options and preserve your rights.