Pedicab accident victims sue Scottsdale and other parties

| Feb 26, 2014 | Drunk Driving Accidents |

Pedicabs are popular way of getting around many of Arizona’s metro areas. However, the mode of transportation, which involves a rickshaw pulled with a bicycle, can also be very dangerous.

One accident involving a pedicab in downtown Scottsdale resulted in two 21-year-olds almost losing their lives.

The accident occurred a year ago after the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. The two 21-year-old Kansas residents were in town cheering for the Kansas State Wildcats and went out after the game. 

After bar close, they jumped in a pedicab and as it brought them back to their hotel, they were struck by a suspected drunk driver.

Both of the young men suffered serious injuries: one sustained a traumatic head injury, and the other sustained a spine injury and remains living at a rehabilitation center in his home state.

The accident victims have now filed personal injury claims against several parties, including the drunk driver, who the lawsuit says had been drinking at a company-sponsored event. The claims also name the employer and the bar that allegedly served the driver as defendants.

Additionally, the claims allege that the city was also to blame for the serious accident. The plaintiffs argue that Scottsdale officials knew that pedicabs were dangerous but negligently failed to implement restrictions such as requiring lights on the pedicabs at night.

The lawsuit seeks $46 million on behalf of one of the accident victims and his parents, and $5 million on behalf of the other accident victim.

Since the accident, the Scottsdale City Council has an ordinance setting ground rules for pedicabs. The operators of pedicabs must now hold valid Arizona driver’s licenses and carry insurance. Other safety requirements have also been adopted, including measures to improve visibility of pedicabs.

An attorney representing the city said that while the city “sympathizes” with the victims and their families, it denies any responsibility for the accident.

Source: The Republic, “Scottsdale pedicab accident victims file suit,” Beth Duckett, Jan. 29, 2014

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