Head Injuries From Bicycle and E-Scooter Crashes

Bicycle crashes

• NHTSA reports that 1,103 bicyclists were killed in traffic crashes in 2024 and that nearly three-quarters of bicyclist deaths occurred in urban areas.^[5]
• The CDC reports that bicycle trips make up 1% of trips in the United States, but bicyclists account for 2-3% of people who die in crashes involving a motor vehicle.^[1]
• According to the CDC, more than one-third of crashes that result in a bicyclist’s death involve alcohol for the driver, the bicyclist or both.^[1]
• The CDC states that bicycle helmets “reduce the risk of head and brain injuries in the event of a crash.”^[1]

E-scooters, e-bikes and hoverboards

CPSC’s 2017-2024 report estimates:^[2]

• 698,500 emergency department visits for all micromobility products, including 380,000 for e-scooters.
• An increase in estimated emergency department visits from 37,300 in 2017 to 149,100 in 2024.
• 533 deaths known to CPSC staff, with e-bikes accounting for 310 of them.
• Motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of death associated with e-scooters.

CPSC reports that the most frequently injured body areas are the upper and lower limbs and the head and neck.^[6] The CDC notes that e-bike injuries are currently counted as motorcycle injuries in its data.^[1]

Differences by age

The CDC reports that adults ages 55-69 have the highest bicycle death rates, while adolescents ages 10-14 have the highest rates of bicycle injuries treated in emergency departments.^[1] For micromobility products, CPSC found that children 14 and younger accounted for about 36% of injuries from 2017 to 2022, double their 18% share of the U.S. population.^[6]

Possible claims

Against a driver. A rider struck by a car may have a negligence claim against the driver.^[3] See personal injury claims.

Against a manufacturer or seller. LII defines products liability as legal responsibility imposed on “any or all parties along the chain of manufacture of any product for damage caused by that product,” including the manufacturer, wholesaler and retailer. It recognizes design defects, manufacturing defects and defects in marketing, such as failures to warn.^[4] CPSC reports that lithium-ion battery fires were associated with 19 of the e-bike deaths in its 2017-2024 data.^[2]

Against a government entity. When a road defect is involved, a claim may be against a city, county or state, and these claims often require notice within a short period. See claims against the government.

Filing deadlines, shared-fault rules and insurance minimums are set by state law. Our state law pages quote the governing statutes for each state we cover.

Learn more: Car crashes · Personal injury claims · Claims against the government

This page provides general information from the sources listed below. It is not legal or medical advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client or provider-patient relationship. Laws vary by state and change over time. See our legal disclaimer.

Sources

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Bicycle Safety.” https://www.cdc.gov/pedestrian-bike-safety/about/bicycle-safety.html
2. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. “Micromobility Products-Related Deaths, Injuries, and Hazard Patterns: 2017-2024.” https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/Micromobility_Products-Related_Deaths_Injuries_and_Hazard_Patterns_2017-2024.pdf
3. Legal Information Institute, Wex. “Negligence.” https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/negligence
4. Legal Information Institute, Wex. “Products liability.” https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/products_liability
5. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “Bicycle Safety.” https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/bicycle-safety
6. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. “E-Scooter and E-Bike Injuries Soar: 2022 Injuries Increased Nearly 21%.” https://www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/News-Releases/2024/E-Scooter-and-E-Bike-Injuries-Soar-2022-Injuries-Increased-Nearly-21

Sources last checked: October 11, 2026