Denver City Council voted Monday to settle a lawsuit for $22,500 with a man who was injured after crashing his Lyft scooter into a broken signpost.
In a lawsuit filed last January, Neil Gennuso said he and a friend were riding Lyft scooters after a Broncos game in November 2022. While traveling on West Colfax just south of Empower Field at Mile High, Gennuso hit a “previously broken" signpost that was difficult to see. The crash happened around 6 p.m.
After hitting the signpost, Gennuso was thrown from the scooter and knocked unconscious after hitting the sidewalk, the lawsuit stated.
Gennuso was hospitalized with a cervical spine injury, an intracranial hemorrhage, a facial fracture, and several cuts and bruises.
His lawyer, Kevin Flesch, argued the city neglected timely repairs on the sign and that its presence made traveling on the sidewalk dangerous. Fleisch declined Denverite’s request for comment.
How dangerous are those scooters?
There have been consistent questions about liability in dockless scooter crashes since their introduction to Denver in 2018. Riders sign agreements to assume all risks, but people involved in crashes still can sue the city and other parties over poorly maintained infrastructure, reckless behavior and more.
However, few people have insurance for riding a scooter, and Lyft’s data privacy rules can make it difficult to track down problem riders and determine liability.
Denver’s laws about electric scooters and bikes specify that people are not allowed to ride on sidewalks unless actively parking, starting, or ending a trip.
