Florida Injury Lawyer Blawg
At 13 years old, Colton Remsburg, of Orange County, loved flag football and making people laugh.
On Tuesday, May 12, 2026, he died, just days after he was in an e-scooter crash.
The incident occurred on Mother’s Day while Colton was out buying Mother’s Day flowers for his mom, Ashley LaChance, according to reporting from Fox Orlando. LaChance told reporters she was at the beach and planned to pick up her son for a family trip to Disney World. It was around 4 p.m. when Colton drove his e-scooter into traffic and fatally collided with a pickup truck, local media reported.
“I always made sure – every day before I sent him off – be safe, look both ways, text me when you get to school,” his mother said. “I want to know that you are there.”
She got the call about the crash and was told that her son was being transferred to a local hospital in critical condition. He required surgery and his family was told that the pressure in his brain was too high. Despite vehement prayers from his family and community, Colton tragically succumbed to his injuries.
Advocating for Safety Requirements
Since Colton’s death, LaChance and other parents have banded together to highlight the dangers associated with these micromobility devices. Data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission showed that there were 117,600 injuries from these devices treated in emergency rooms from 2017 to 2021. In that time, 25% of these incidents involved young people from 15 to 24 years old. From 2020 to 2021, the agency found that there was a 66% increase in injuries as the popularity of these devices continued to soar.
In Orange County, where the tragic crash that killed Colton occurred, officials say they have tracked the numbers of incidents and injuries. From December 2026 to May, Orange County fire officials said they have responded to at least 41 incidents that have involved injuries. Local politicians are considering implementing helmet requirements, setting speed limits and fines to promote safety.
The Sun Sentinel reported a spike in e-bike accidents at Memorial Healthcare System in southern Broward County with more severe injuries. There was a 178% increase in e-bike and e-scooter trauma alerts from 2024 to 2025. Helmet use among those who were injured is low with 82% of those injured reporting that they were not wearing helmets at the time of their accident.
For LaChance and many families like hers, these proposals are essential to prevent further tragedies. She told reporters that she wants to see a total ban on these devices and does not believe “these things should even be on our roadways.”
“My whole world just changed,” she said. “Completely. In seconds.”
These tragedies mar the lives of families, many of whom purchased these devices for their children themselves. Colton’s e-scooter, which could reach up to 28 mph, was a Christmas gift.
“Colton would want that,” his mother said. “If his story can save other kids in our community and beyond our community, I want to see that change.”
‘Micro-Mobility Madness’
Many of these devices have the ability to reach speeds of 28 to 30 mph, or more. This is a significant increase from what the average teen would be able to reach on a traditional bicycle — posing a heightened risk of serious or fatal injuries to both riders and nearby pedestrians. A married couple walking near Coconut Grove — where Leesfield & Partners, a personal injury law firm that has been highlighting the dangers of these devices for nearly a decade, is located — is all too familiar with these risks.
On Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, the two were walking near Kennedy Park when they were hit from behind by a teen on an electric dirt bike. He was going 20 mph, according to reporting from Coconut Grove Spotlight. Both husband and wife were hospitalized with severe injuries — the wife had a
And they are not the only bystanders who have been the victims of such an incident. In February 2024, 66-year-old Meagan Welsh Andrews was killed following a collision with a 12-year-old e-bike-rider in Key Biscayne. A little more than a year later a bicyclist, 54, was hit an killed by a 14-year-old on an electric dirt bike on the Rickenbacker Causeway.
Upon hearing the news of the most-recent crash, the firm’s Founder and Managing Partner, Ira Leesfield, said that he believes more needs to be done to prevent such tragedies from occurring.
“I call it micro-mobility madness, because there are no rules,” Mr. Leesfield told reporters with Coconut Grove Spotlight. “I am pretty much on the warpath and have been since 2019.”
Ira Leesfield: The E-Bike ‘Safety Pioneer’
Mr. Leesfield, whose 50-year career as a plaintiff’s personal injury attorney has been colored by “two-wheel litigation,” involving manufacturers such as Yamaha and Kawasaki, has been adamant about the dangers of e-bikes since 2019.
“From viral videos of riders topping 30 miles per hour in traffic, to statistics showing children injured at disproportionate rates, the need for meaningful regulation is urgent,” he said in a previous Florida Injury Lawyer Blawg. “We must do more than hope people act safely — we must enact laws that ensure it.”
Just two years after embarking on a journey to implement safety regulations throughout the state, Mr. Leesfield penned an article in the Daily Business Review that applauded the efforts of the Miami City Commission to scrap a pilot e-scooter program. Today, however, these devices are available for rent on nearly every street corner and can be seen whizzing by pedestrians and traditional bicyclists on congested pathways such as The Underline. While these devices have done nothing but soar in popularity, especially following the pandemic, Mr. Leesfield has remained adamant in his mission.
“This isn’t about banning innovation, it’s about protecting people,” the National Board of Trial Advocacy–certified attorney said.
Mr. Leesfield: They Must ‘Play by the Same Rules’
As it stands, there are no minimum age or license requirements associated with operating e-bikes, e-scooters, and/or electric dirt bikes. Similarly, there are no helmet or insurance requirements, leaving both riders and pedestrians at risk of injury and with little recourse to recover damages.
“[In Florida,] we regulate the age and education of auto operators and even require insurance,” Mr. Leesfield said. “The E-bike operators and, more importantly, the distributors must play by the same rules.”
While there are no meaningful, state-wide regulations, municipalities in South Florida are taking steps to bridge that gap. Key Biscayne, for example, has enforced a permanent ban on e-bikes and scooters. This comes following Andrews’ tragic passing and applies to local roads, multi-use paths, sidewalks and parks. While no other city in the state has implemented such a wide ban on these devices, other places have created their own rules regarding sidewalks, paths and beaches.
In the Village of Pinecrest, a Miami-Dade County-incorporated neighborhood encompassing nearly eight square miles, officials have adopted ordinances that establish speed limits on local paths and sidewalks. Under the new ordinance, riders must adhere to the 15 mph speed limit on shared-use paths and 10 mph on sidewalks. Those under 16 must take a free e-bike safety training course with their parents and sign a safety acknowledgement form. Violators will be subject to fines of $250 for a first offense and $500 for repeat offenses.
Ongoing E-scooter and Bicycle Cases
The firm is representing a young man who was severely injured on an e-scooter who suffered a serious gash to his forehead and a left arm fracture. The ongoing case is being handled by Partner Justin B. Shapiro.
In a separate road safety case, this time involving a bicycle, the firm is representing a man who was injured in a crash involving a commercial truck driver. The motorist in that case hit our client when he abruptly and illegally turned into our client’s lane, causing our client to be ejected from his bicycle and suffer serious injuries.
“This driver’s one moment of inattention has left my client with life-altering injuries,” said Bernardo Pimentel II, the Leesfield & Partners Trial Attorney handling the case. “This frightening incident has left him in severe pain, causing a disruption to his daily life and happiness.”
Previous Cases
A case involving a bicyclist who was hit while stopped on the shoulder of the Overseas Highway in Key West resulted in a $5,350,000 settlement for the client. In that case, the bicyclist who was stopped on the side of the road was hit by a driver who was distracted by their car’s GPS.
A pedestrian-involved incident handled by the firm resulted in the maximum recovery amount of $6 million awarded to our injured client. In that case, a woman was walking back to her office following a mid-day break when she was struck by a truck making an illegal left turn whose driver claimed not to see her in the marked crosswalk. The woman had severe injuries including skull fractures and brain hemorrhages as a result of the driver’s negligence.
For a Toronto family, a vacation to Fort Myers turned into a nightmare after a pickup truck driver failed to see a young wife and mother attempting to cross the street. Leesfield & Partners attorneys recovered an $8.5 million settlement for the family following a $27 million arbitration award.
Another pedestrian-involved incident handled by the firm resulted in a $2.9 million recovery.
The firm previously recovered $3 million for a mother and son injured in a bicycle incident.
