An e-bike or e-scooter crash can change your life in a second. One minute you are riding to work, heading to campus, or cruising the MKT Trail. The next, you are in an ambulance, wondering how you will pay the bills and who is responsible. Mutrux Firm Injury Lawyers represents people hurt on e-bikes and e-scooters across Missouri and Illinois from our offices in Clayton and Columbia. We work on a contingency fee, so there is no attorney’s fee unless we win.
E-bike cases are not quite like a regular bicycle crash or a car wreck. Missouri law treats e-bikes in a specific way, insurance coverage rarely lines up neatly, and some injuries come from the bike itself through a defective part or a battery that catches fire. This page explains what injured riders and their families should know, and how we can help.
You are not imagining it: more people are getting hurt on e-bikes and e-scooters. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s micromobility report covering 2017 to 2024, estimated emergency department visits tied to micromobility products (e-bikes, e-scooters, hoverboards and similar devices) grew from 37,300 in 2017 to 149,100 in 2024. E-bikes alone accounted for an estimated 59,200 emergency visits in 2024.
The same CPSC report’s 2024 e-bike study found that 24% of injuries involved a motor vehicle, 58% happened on paved roads, and only 40% of injured riders were wearing helmets. A peer-reviewed study in JAMA Surgery found that e-bike hospitalizations rose 43-fold from 2017 to 2022.
You may also have seen headlines about a “760%” jump in e-bike ER visits. That figure comes from a Truveta analysis, a preliminary, non-peer-reviewed study of Truveta’s own health-record data. It measured e-bike-related visits per 100,000 emergency room patients in its dataset, which rose from 1.2 to 10.1 between January to August 2023 and January to August 2026. It is a rate within one data network, not a national count of ER visits.
Missouri defines an “electric bicycle” in RSMo 300.010 as a bike with operable pedals, a seat, and an electric motor of less than 750 watts. It falls into one of three classes:
Under RSMo 307.194, e-bike riders have the same rights and duties as bicyclists. An e-bike is not subject to Missouri’s motor-vehicle laws, so there is no registration, title, driver’s license, or insurance requirement. Manufacturers must label each e-bike with its class, top assisted speed, and motor wattage, and the bike must meet federal bicycle safety standards (16 CFR 1512).
These details matter after a crash. A bike that has been modified to go faster, or that has a motor over 750 watts, may not count as an “electric bicycle” under Missouri law at all, which can change both how the law treats the rider and what insurance applies. For a closer look at classes, age limits, and trail rules, see our guide, Are E-Bikes Legal in Missouri?
Missouri defines an electric bicycle as a bike with operable pedals, a seat, and an electric motor under 750 watts (RSMo 300.010). There are three classes:
Class 3 bikes are heavier and faster than a regular bike, and crashes at 25 mph or more can cause injuries closer to a motorcycle crash. A bike that has been modified to go faster, or has a larger motor, may not count as an e-bike under Missouri law, which can affect a claim.
Many of the crashes we see are caused by drivers who never expected a bike to be moving as fast as it was. Common situations include:
E-bike injuries are often more serious than people expect. In a JAMA Surgery study of national emergency room data, e-bike head injuries rose about 49-fold from 2017 to 2022, and riders without helmets had about 1.9 times the odds of a head injury (JAMA Surgery, 2024). We help riders with:
Because an e-bike is not a motor vehicle under Missouri law, most riders do not carry e-bike insurance. That does not mean there is no coverage. Depending on the facts, money may come from several places:
We explain each of these in more detail in Who Pays After an E-Bike Accident in Missouri? If your child was hurt, read Who Pays When Your Child Is Seriously Injured on an E-Bike or E-Scooter. Many of the same insurance questions come up in motorcycle cases, which we discuss on our Missouri motorcycle accident lawyer page.
E-bike cases are not just bicycle cases with a motor. They raise issues that a regular bike or car case usually does not:
Not every e-bike injury happens on the road. Lithium-ion batteries can overheat and catch fire while riding, charging, or sitting in a garage. In the CPSC’s in-depth investigations, fire hazards were the most common problem reported for e-bikes (106 of 145 investigations), and the agency is aware of 19 deaths tied to 13 e-bike battery fire incidents, according to its 2017 to 2024 micromobility report. In June 2026, the CPSC published a proposed safety standard for micromobility lithium-ion batteries that cites 227 incidents from 2019 to 2023, with 39 deaths and 181 injuries.
When a battery, charger, or bike is defective, the injured person may have a claim against the manufacturer, distributor, or retailer, including some online marketplace sellers. Learn more in E-Bike Battery Fires: Recalls, Your Rights & Product Liability Claims.
Possibly. When a brake fails, a frame or fork breaks, a throttle sticks, or a battery catches fire, the company that made, distributed, or sold the product may be responsible under Missouri product liability law. Claims are usually based on a design defect, a manufacturing defect, or a failure to warn. You do not need a recall to have a claim, but a recall can be strong evidence. You can search recalls at CPSC.gov/Recalls.
The most important thing is to keep the bike, battery, charger, packaging, and receipts exactly as they are. Do not send the product back to the seller or let an insurer take it before talking with a lawyer.
Shared scooters and bikes are common in St. Louis and Columbia. The CPSC’s 2024 e-bike study found that 11% of e-bike injuries involved rentals. If you were hurt on a rental, the claim may involve the driver who hit you, a poorly maintained device, or both. Rental companies’ user agreements often include arbitration clauses and liability waivers. Those terms do not always end a claim, but they can affect where and how it proceeds. Take screenshots of your ride history in the app and keep any emails or receipts from the trip.
Missouri does not allow anyone under 16 to operate a Class 3 e-bike, and Class 3 bikes must have a speedometer (RSMo 307.194). Columbia requires helmets for riders 15 and under. If your child was hurt, the questions about insurance and responsibility can be different, and we cover them in our post on children injured on e-bikes and e-scooters.
If you are able, these steps can protect your health and your claim:
Deadlines are strict. In Missouri, personal injury claims generally must be filed within five years (RSMo 516.120), and wrongful death claims generally within three years (RSMo 537.100). In Illinois, personal injury claims generally must be filed within two years. Exceptions can shorten or extend these periods, and claims against public entities can involve earlier notice requirements, so do not wait. If your crash happened in Illinois, visit our Illinois personal injury lawyers page.
Depending on the facts, an injured rider may seek:
We don’t post settlement averages, because every case is different. What your case may be worth depends on your injuries, the evidence of fault, and the insurance available.
When you call us, you talk with a team that handles injury cases every day. Our lawyers are licensed in Missouri and Illinois. We can:
If you were hurt on a regular bicycle, our St. Louis County bicycle accident lawyer and Columbia bicycle accident lawyer pages have more information.
We work on a contingency fee, so you pay no attorney’s fee unless we win.
No. Under RSMo 307.194, an e-bike that meets the state definition is not subject to Missouri’s motor-vehicle laws, so there is no license, registration, title, or insurance requirement. A bike that has been modified or has a motor of 750 watts or more may be treated differently.
Often, yes. If a driver caused the crash, their auto liability insurance is usually the first source of payment. If the driver had no insurance or not enough, your own UM/UIM coverage may help, depending on your policy’s wording.
Helmet requirements for adult riders are set by local ordinance, such as Columbia’s requirement for riders 15 and under. Insurers may still argue that not wearing a helmet made injuries worse. Not wearing a helmet does not automatically bar a claim.
Missouri follows a pure comparative fault system, which means you may still recover even if you were partly at fault, though your recovery can be reduced by your share of fault.
Possibly. You may have a claim against a driver who hit you, and in some cases against the company if the device was defective or poorly maintained. Rental agreements often include arbitration clauses or waivers that can affect the process.
If a defective battery, charger, or bike caused a fire that injured you or damaged your home, you may have a product liability claim against the manufacturer, distributor, or seller. Keep the battery, charger, and receipts, and check the CPSC recall list.
There is no upfront cost for a consultation. We work on a contingency fee, which means we are paid only if we recover money for you.
Missouri personal injury claims generally must be filed within five years, and wrongful death claims generally within three years. Illinois claims generally must be filed within two years. Some situations have shorter deadlines, so it is best to call soon.
Often, yes. The rules of the road are mostly the same, but e-bike cases add questions about the bike’s class, its speed, whether it was modified, local trail rules, and whether insurance policies cover e-bikes. Product defects and battery fires also come up more often.
Yes. We handle injury claims in Missouri and Illinois. Illinois has different e-bike rules, including no riding on sidewalks, and generally a two-year deadline to file a personal injury lawsuit.
If you or someone you love was hurt on an e-bike or e-scooter, we are here to listen and help you understand your options. The consultation is free, and there is no fee unless we win.
Call 888-550-4026 or contact us online.
This page is for general information and is not legal advice. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements. Mutrux Firm, LLC.
