Chris Carmody Provides Insight to Law360

ORLANDO, FL – August 19, 2019 – Christopher L. Carmody, Jr., attorney and lobbyist in GrayRobinson’s Orlando law firm office, provides insight to Law360 in the article "E-Scooter Surge Kicks Up Cloud Of Legal Issues." The article explores the rise of micromobility and the growth of electric scooters in U.S. cities, listing the three facets of the e-scooter landscape to keep an eye on: cities vs statewide regulations; lawsuits related to injury and public nuisance; and liability.

According to experts, since the first of the dockless shared e-scooters in the U.S. began popping up in cities like San Francisco and Santa Monica, California, a few years ago, the companies behind them have largely operated within — and exploited — a regulatory gray area.

States are still figuring out what roles they’ll play in regulation. For example, Florida legalized e-scooters but gave cities the right to further regulate the vehicles based on local needs under a bill that was signed into law in June.

"The goal of the legislation was to make clear that Florida was going to be welcoming to scooters and bikes, but not overly restrict a local government’s right to regulate [them] in the way they best see fit," explained Carmody. "The truth is it’s a good thing. There's a demand for it, not just in urban areas, to give people more options for transportation, but you've got to strike the right balance."

Read the full article here.