E-Scooter Accident Claims – How Much Compensation Can You Claim?

Electric scooters are now a familiar sight on UK roads and pavements, whether they’re part of a rental scheme or privately owned. While they offer a quick and convenient way to travel, accidents involving e-scooters can and do happen, often leading to serious injuries. Importantly, if you’ve been injured in an electric scooter accident, you may be eligible to make an e-scooter accident claim for compensation.

We specialise in personal injury claims, and can help you go through your options. By calling for a free initial consultation, you’ll receive no-obligation legal advice after a specialist has reviewed your case with you. If we believe that you should be paid compensation, you’ll be referred to one of our personal injury solicitors. They’ll act on a No Win No Fee basis, so you’ll get specialist legal representation that you’ll only pay for if you are compensated.

There’s more about the e-scooter accident claims process throughout the rest of this guide, so please read on. Alternatively, call 0800 6524 881 to speak to a member of our team right away.

What Is The Law On E-Scooters?

Privately owned e-scooters might look like a handy way to get around, but the rules are very strict. You cannot use them on public roads, pavements, cycle lanes or in any public space. The only place you can legally ride one is on private land that the public can’t access, and only if the landowner says yes.

Rental e-scooters, however, are legal in selected towns and cities in England because they’re part of official government trials. They’re run by approved operators, and every scooter must have the right insurance in place before it goes anywhere near the road.

If you’re hiring one, you can use it on the road and in marked cycle lanes (not pavements), but you’ll need a valid driving licence.

Am I Eligible To Make An E-Scooter Accident Claim?

Anybody injured in an e-scooter accident may be able to make a claim, depending on what happened and who was at fault. That could be a rider knocked off a rental e-scooter by a car, a pedestrian hit by somebody riding dangerously, or even a cyclist injured because an e-scooter ran into them.

Under the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Highway Code, all road users owe each other a duty of care, meaning they must act safely to avoid causing harm. Rental e-scooter operators also have a responsibility to make sure their scooters are safe, properly maintained and correctly insured.

Therefore, you might be eligible to claim compensation for an e-scooter accident if:

• The party you are suing (the defendant) owed you a duty of care; and
• You had an accident involving an electric scooter that was caused by the defendant’s negligence; and
• You sustained injuries in the accident.

If you believe you might have a claim, speak with us today, and we will explain your options for free.

Can I Claim If I Wasn’t Wearing A Helmet?

Yes, you could still claim compensation if you weren’t wearing a helmet, as wearing a helmet isn’t currently a legal requirement when riding an e-scooter. However, not wearing a helmet may be seen as contributory negligence, meaning your actions contributed to your injuries. This could potentially affect the amount of compensation you receive or your ability to make a claim.

We recommend contacting our personal injury solicitors to discuss your accident and how not wearing a helmet could affect your claim.

Common Causes Of E-Scooter Accident Claims

Now, let’s look at some of the types of e-scooter accidents that could lead to a personal injury claim:

• Where a driver pulls out at a junction and collides with an e-scooter rider.
• Where a rider is thrown from a scooter because of a dangerous pothole that the local authority failed to repair in a reasonable time.
• If a rental e-scooter malfunctions due to poor maintenance, causing the rider to fall or lose control.
• Where a pedestrian is hit by an e-scooter being ridden carelessly or in an unsafe place, such as on a pavement or zebra crossing.
• Where a cyclist is injured because an e-scooter rider was weaving through traffic or failing to follow the Highway Code.

Even if we’ve not described your electric scooter accident here, please contact us if you believe your injuries were caused by somebody else’s negligence. We’ll assess your case with you and review your options for free.

Common Electric Scooter Injuries

E-scooter accidents can involve collisions at relatively fast speeds and result in some quite serious injuries. Some of the most common electric scooter injuries include:

If you’ve been injured in an e-scooter accident, call our claims advisors today, and they’ll review your eligibility to start a claim.

How Much Compensation Will I Get For An E-Scooter Accident Claim?

There’s no set figure for an e-scooter accident claim because no two claims are the same. The amount would be based on the real-world impact the accident has had on you, not a fixed tariff.

If a solicitor from our team values your claim, they look at how serious your injuries are, how long your symptoms are likely to last, and what it’s cost you in practical terms. In other words, the focus is on what the accident has taken from you, physically, financially and sometimes emotionally.

As part of that assessment, your claim can include compensation for your injuries as well as any financial losses linked to the electric scooter accident, such as:

• Medical expenses, including private physiotherapy.
• Care costs, e.g. the time a loved one spent looking after you while you were injured.
• Lost earnings – this might include future losses if there are longer-term implications.
• Travel expenses.
• Personal property replacement costs.
• Making changes to your home or vehicle so that it’s easier for you to cope with any long-term symptoms and mobility issues.

Your solicitor will always spend time reviewing how you’ve suffered before submitting your claim in an effort to ensure that you are compensated fairly.

Electric Scooter Injury Compensation Calculator

Our compensation calculator provides some compensation estimates for a range of injuries that could be sustained in an e-scooter accident. These figures aren’t guaranteed as each claim is unique, but they can be used for demonstration purposes.

To help determine how much compensation for an e-scooter accident you might be entitled to, you’ll usually have an independent medical assessment as part of your claim. This isn’t anything to be worried about, though. You’ll see a medical specialist who’ll examine your injuries and ask you about the problems they’ve caused. The report from the meeting will be sent to your solicitor and the defendant’s insurers.

Evidence To Support An E-Scooter Accident Claim

At the time of an e-scooter accident, there are some steps you can take which could make it easier to claim compensation for any injuries. If you follow the actions listed below, you could secure much of the evidence needed for your e-scooter accident claim to proceed:

• Take photographs. You should take pictures at the accident scene and of the e-scooter involved in the accident. This should include any identifying marks on the scooter and the operator’s name.
• Collect personal details. If you were hit by an e-scooter, take the rider’s details.
• Report the accident. You should email details of the accident to the e-scooter operator so that there is a written record of what happened and when the accident occurred.
• Speak to witnesses. Ask anybody who saw the electric scooter accident for their contact details in case your solicitor needs to collect witness statements.
• Visit a hospital. Get your injuries properly diagnosed and treated. Hospital or GP records will be requested to help prove your diagnosis.
• Request video footage. If there is video footage of your accident (CCTV, dashcam, etc), ask for a copy of the relevant data as quickly as possible.

Following the process listed above shouldn’t be too time-consuming, but could improve your chances of being compensated. Even if you’ve not got everything listed above, please call, and your solicitor will help to obtain any missing information if your claim is accepted.

E-Scooter Accident Claim Time Limits

Generally, you must start a personal injury claim for an e-scooter accident within 3 years of it happening, or “date of knowledge“. Filing the claim early usually allows plenty of time for the claim to be processed and for your solicitor to collect the evidence they need to try and prove why you should be compensated.

If your child was injured in an e-scooter accident, you don’t need to worry as much about their time limit, as a litigation friend can claim on their behalf at any time before their 18^th birthday. If a litigation friend isn’t used, they’ll have 3 years to make their own claim from their 18^th birthday.

If the individual has suffered an injury, such as a traumatic brain injury, in the e-scooter accident and doesn’t have the mental capacity to file the claim, a litigation friend may also be used. If not, they’ll have 3 years to claim from when they’re mentally capable to handle things for themself.

Starting The E-Scooter Accident Claims Process

Please call 0800 6524 881 today if you’d like free legal advice about starting an e-scooter accident claim. During your initial consultation, a specialist advisor will assess your claim and provide no-obligation information about your options.

We could appoint one of our personal injury solicitors to represent you if there are grounds for the case to continue. To reduce the financial risks involved with taking on legal representation, your solicitor will work on a No Win No Fee basis.

Our live chat team can answer any questions you might have about e-scooter accident claims, so please feel free to get in touch.