What Happens If a Tempe Rental Scooter Rider Causes Your Car Accident?

Electric rental scooters have become a permanent part of Tempe’s transportation ecosystem. Whether zipping through Downtown Tempe or weaving between students near North Tempe, scooters like Bird and Lime are frequently used for short trips—and often ridden with little regard for traffic laws.

While scooter-related injuries usually involve the rider getting hurt, drivers aren't immune. If a rental scooter swerves into your lane, ignores a stop sign, or causes a crash by riding unpredictably, you could be left with significant vehicle damage and personal injury. The challenge is that recovering compensation from a scooter accident caused by someone else is more complicated than with standard vehicle collisions.

In this guide, our car accident lawyer resource breaks down how liability works when a rental scooter rider causes your crash, what options you have for filing a claim, and the unique issues these cases present in Tempe.

Scooter Riders Often Don’t Follow the Same Rules

Rental scooter companies encourage fast sign-ups through apps and typically offer little in the way of real safety training. Riders—often young, distracted, or unfamiliar with local streets—can dart into intersections, ride on sidewalks, or turn without signaling. Because scooters are relatively silent and small, they’re difficult for drivers to see in time to react.

Tempe’s streets, especially in areas with high foot traffic like Holdeman, are full of mixed-use zones where scooters, cars, and pedestrians overlap. And although Arizona traffic laws technically apply to scooter riders in many situations, enforcement is inconsistent, and liability isn’t always obvious.

Is the Scooter Rider Automatically at Fault?

Not necessarily. Arizona uses a comparative negligence system, which means more than one person can share fault. That said, if the scooter rider did something unreasonable—like dart into traffic, ignore a traffic signal, or ride against traffic—you may have a strong case.

In most car-scooter crashes, investigators will look at:

• Whether the scooter was being operated in a legal location

• If the rider violated any traffic laws

• The visibility conditions at the time of the crash

• Any video footage, dash cams, or witnesses

It's also important to note whether the scooter rider was using the device within the allowed area. Some zones restrict scooters to certain lanes or disallow sidewalk riding altogether.

What About the Scooter Company?

Generally, the rental companies—like Bird or Lime—avoid direct liability. That’s because their terms of service, which riders accept when signing up, explicitly shift responsibility to the user. Unless the scooter itself malfunctioned due to poor maintenance or a manufacturing defect, the company is usually off the hook.

If the rider caused the crash due to reckless or negligent behavior, the claim will likely be against them personally—not against the scooter company.

Can You File a Claim Against the Rider?

Yes—but it depends on what assets or insurance coverage the rider has. Unlike car owners, scooter riders aren’t required to carry liability insurance in Arizona. This means if the rider was personally responsible for the crash, you may face a gap in coverage unless:

• The rider has homeowner’s or renter’s insurance that includes personal liability

• You have uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage

• The scooter company’s insurance applies in rare cases of equipment failure

For instance, if your accident resulted in injuries like spinal cord trauma or traumatic brain injuries, your damages could be extensive—far beyond what a rider can personally pay. That’s why identifying every possible source of recovery matters.

What Role Does Your Own Insurance Play?

If the scooter rider was at fault but uninsured, you may need to turn to your own auto insurance. Your uninsured motorist (UM) or underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage could apply, depending on how your policy defines “vehicle” and what type of impact occurred. Some policies exclude non-motorized vehicles or low-speed devices like scooters, but others are broader in scope.

Additionally, MedPay (medical payments coverage), if you have it, can help cover immediate medical expenses regardless of fault.

If you were injured in an area like South Tempe, where traffic and scooter zones often overlap with business parking lots or bike paths, make sure your insurer knows exactly where and how the crash occurred.

What If You Hit a Scooter Because They Were in Your Blind Spot?

These cases often result in shared fault. If the scooter rider wasn’t obeying traffic laws but you also failed to keep a proper lookout, insurers may split liability.

Under Arizona’s comparative negligence law, your compensation could be reduced by your percentage of fault. That means if you're awarded $10,000 but found 20% at fault, you’d receive $8,000. But unlike some states, Arizona still allows recovery even if you’re partially to blame.

This system makes documentation critical. Be sure to:

• Get a police report filed

• Photograph the scene

• Note any scooter ID numbers or QR codes

• Get the rider’s full name and contact info

• Look for nearby businesses with security footage

Scooter Collisions in Parking Lots or Private Property

Accidents in places like grocery store parking lots, garages, or apartment complexes raise different legal questions. If the scooter rider was acting recklessly on private property, you may need to involve the property owner if poor signage or design contributed to the crash.

Likewise, if you were in a marked space and the scooter zipped between rows, that detail could impact how liability is assessed.

In these scenarios, it’s worth checking whether the property’s layout complies with municipal design standards. This is especially important near shared commercial areas in places like Escalante.

Final Thoughts

Scooter-related car crashes in Tempe introduce a unique mix of modern tech, outdated infrastructure, and legal gray areas. While scooter riders can absolutely be at fault, holding them accountable can be harder than with traditional drivers—especially when there’s no auto insurance involved.

If you’ve been injured by a rental scooter rider, you’ll need to think creatively about insurance coverage, liability sources, and evidence preservation. Because these cases don’t fit the mold of typical auto collisions, taking early steps to document everything is critical.

For more help understanding your options after a non-traditional crash, check out our legal resources page.