Electric Scooter Injury Lawsuit Claims 1PLUS S10 From Amazon Came Apart, Causing Leg Fractures

Lawsuit comes as electric scooters face increased scrutiny over rider safety, with a growing number of claims alleging defective designs have caused serious crashes and injuries.

A California woman has filed a lawsuit alleging a 1PLUS S10 electric scooter purchased through Amazon suddenly came apart during normal use, throwing her to the ground and causing severe leg injuries.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by Weicheng Lin in California Superior Court on July 31, naming Amazon.com Inc., Amazon.com Services LLC, 1PLUS and US-FiveMind as defendants.

Lin claims Amazon, 1PLUS and the other defendants knew or should have known the scooter posed a risk of catastrophic structural failure, but withheld warnings that could have alerted consumers to the danger.

Electric Scooter Risks

Electric scooters are compact, battery-powered vehicles that have become an increasingly popular option for commuting and traveling short distances in cities across the United States. Their affordability, ease of use and availability through shared rental services have helped fuel widespread adoption in recent years.

As more consumers have turned to e-scooters for everyday transportation, concerns have also emerged about the potential for serious crashes and injuries, prompting increased scrutiny of rider safety and product design. A growing number of electric scooter lawsuits have also been filed in recent years, alleging defective designs and manufacturing flaws caused riders to suffer serious injuries.

In June, a lawsuit was filed against Amazon and Aovopro Electric Scooters claiming a Florida man suffered severe injuries after being thrown from a defective Aovopro scooter he bought on the platform.

A separate complaint was filed against Amazon in March, when a woman in Florida suffered severe injuries after being violently thrown from a Volpam electric scooter. In that case, the handlebars suddenly collapsed during normal use, resulting in her suffering permanent injuries.

Electric Scooter Injury Allegations

According to this new complaint, Lin purchased a foldable 1Plus S10 electric scooter on June 21, 2024. The scooter was sold on Amazon by US-FiveMind.

Less than two months later, Lin alleges she was riding the scooter when its folding stem and steering-column mechanism suddenly came apart without warning. The structural failure allegedly caused her to lose control and be thrown violently to the ground, resulting in a displaced spiral fracture of her right tibia and a fracture of her right fibula.

After receiving emergency medical treatment, Lin underwent surgery that included an open reduction with internal fixation and intramedullary nailing, leaving her with permanent orthopedic hardware. The complaint indicates she continues to require follow-up care and physical therapy.

Lin alleges the scooter was defectively designed, indicating that Amazon and US-FiveMind failed to adequately warn consumers about the risk of catastrophic structural failure. Lin contends ordinary users would have no reason to anticipate the folding mechanism could suddenly separate during normal operation, despite the defendants allegedly knowing or having reason to know of the danger.

“The Subject Scooter failed to perform as safely as an ordinary consumer would have expected when used in a reasonably foreseeable manner. An ordinary consumer would not expect an electric scooter to suddenly come apart and structurally fail at its folding stem and steering-column mechanism during ordinary, foreseeable operation.”

— Weicheng Lin v. Amazon.com Inc. et al.

The lawsuit raises claims of strict product liability based on alleged manufacturing defects, design defects and failure to warn, as well as negligence and breach of the implied warranty of merchantability. It seeks damages for past and future medical expenses, pain and suffering, mental anguish and other losses.

Sign up for more legal news that could affect you or your family.