Chicago is no stranger to test piloting new convenience based start-up companies. From being one of the first cities to use food delivery services like Grubhub and 24/7 laundry lockers like Pressbox, Chicagoans have shown huge interest in these new tech services. LimeBike is the newest start up to move into the Windy City.

LimeBike is comparable to Divvy, a rentable bike service already implemented around Chicago. There are two key differences, though: LimeBike offers a lower price and promise to be more easy to use. LimeBike is $1 to rent per 30 minutes which is cheaper than Divvy’s $3 price tag. LimeBike has promised more convenience as well; they are dockless, meaning that they can be picked up and dropped off anywhere by using an app to locate and unlock. While this feature has many excited, others are left with concern based on the history of other dockless programs around the country.

San Francisco and other cities around California have been struggling to get used to their dockless motorized scooter programs. The scooters have the same premise as LimeBike: pick up and drop off anywhere. Citizens are frustrated by a slew of injuries that have come in the wake of carelessly abandoned scooters spotting their cities. They have proven to be a danger as they are left in the middle of sidewalks and streets, resulting in falls. Riding on sidewalks and streets on the scooters have also resulted in many accidents that left users and pedestrians injured.

The pilot program for LimeBike officially starts this month in a few select neighborhoods. This has many wondering if it will result in the same frustrations as the dockless scooter programs. Personal Injury lawyers are particularly interested in how the pilot program will play out. Start-ups can be easy marks for lawsuits as they are not likely to have a solid internal legal team to use. This can result in many quick settlements as they have no other choice.

Companies are also more likely to be sued directly in injuries that result from a rented bike or car since the rider/driver is usually not identifiable. These rental companies can also be in danger of losing their business permits if it directly threatens the public.

As Lime Bikes roll out this summer across the Chicagoland area, PI attorneys will be keeping a close eye on them.

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