Chicagoist: Bike Rental Update

oz115

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 09:18:47 -0600

I'd suggest people file more BS lawsuits here than anywhere else because all the European countries have subsidized health care, so they don't have to worry about paying their medical bills. I'm not saying which system is better, but I think it's fair to say there wouldn't be so many lawsuits if people didn't get slammed with $3,000 in hospital bills. Anyway, it sure is a complicated thing to figure out who's going to be liable. I think the company in charge has an obligation to make sure the bikes are safe and functioning, but it's the rider's responsibility to ride the thing safely. Not that will stop anyone from suing whoever they can get their hands on!

smussy

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:52:18 -0600

@ blue fairlane .. that can't be quite right. many people rent cars that don't even have cars, so we (i?) wouldn't even *have* car insurance. you can buy (rent?) car insurance from the rental place, which i do, but it's not like i have a backup insurance policy working for me, you know? @ julia porter .. sigh. too true.

JuliaPorter

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:41:40 -0600

Also, most people in other countries don't sue each other for fun the way we do here. It's really a shame, but we can't say, "Ok, and nobody ruin this by filing a bullshit lawsuit."

itchy

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:45:35 -0600

I just got back from the toilet, wow, this article is not the best.

Amy Mikel

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:30:51 -0600

i dont know what other cities have as their "liability models", but i would assume this information - if not available to the public - would be available for evaluation by the city of chicago. i do know, since in most cases, a private company owns the bikes and infrastructure (like ClearChannel for SmartBike and JCDecaux for Paris' Velib), maintenance and upkeep of the bikes and systems is also their responsability. therefore the company would be liable for any accidents or injuries due to malfunctioning equipment.

E

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:18:24 -0600

How is DC handling the liability?

lamgray

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:13:35 -0600

Amsterdam was lovely, shared bikes. People didn't lock them up, when they are ready to leave, they just grab a bike and go. I wonder how that all works there.

staybeautiful

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:05:57 -0600

I just got back from Barcelona, and the Bicing (www.bicing.com) program there is awesome. I must have the same bike they use, pronto. (Also used by the Stockholm City Bikes program.) I'm not sure who handles claims and insurance or who's responsible in European cities, but considering that all of the Euro cities who have these programs also lay in regions where health care is not an issue, I guess no one in Chicago can refer to their programs as models regarding claims. Go free-reign capitalism! Ughh....

BlueFairlane

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:29:12 -0600

My understanding--and those who know better should correct me if I'm wrong--is that rental cars are more often than not covered by the renter's own car insurance. Few people have bicyclist insurance, though, so people are left wondering who to sue. And the DC company not requiring helmets is a baaaaaad idea.

Slaphappy

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:15:23 -0600

Wouldn't it be the same as if you got in an accident in a rental car?

herstory

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:55:41 -0600

How do they do it in Copenhagen with their free bikes? The rider should take responsibility.