12 May 2023
E-Scooters: Are they safe and what happens in the event of an accident?
E-scooters have become an increasingly popular mode of transport over the last few years and it’s easy to see why. In big, busy cities such as London and Manchester, traffic is a problem and getting from A to B can take considerably longer than it should. Of course, public transport is an option, but why hop on a hot train or an over-crowded bus when you can use an e-scooter to get around?
In theory, e-scooters solve a lot of problems but, there are a rising number of concerns over their safety, and a lot of confusion around the legalities of using them on public roads and pavements.
So, how safe are e-scooters, and what happens if you have an accident whilst riding one?
What are the laws on e-scooter use in the UK?
It is currently illegal in the UK to ride a privately owned electric scooter on a public road or pavement (including cycle lanes). If you own an e-scooter, you can ride it on private land.
However, the government has run trials in cities across the UK over the last few years where shared e-scooters are available and legal to ride. There are also going to be updates to the law in 2023/2024 that will allow privately owned e-scooters to be ridden on public roads, providing they comply with certain regulations such as a cap on top speed.
Recorded e-scooter accidents are on the rise
According to the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, “since 2019, PACTS is aware of a total of thirty-two deaths involving e-scooters, one in 2019, three in 2020, thirteen in 2021, fourteen in 2022 and one in 2023 (to the end of April).” The government also reported that in 2021 “there were 1,352 collisions involving e-scooters, compared to 460 in 2020.”
So, we can see that accidents on e-scooters are increasing, and that sadly there have been a number of fatalities over the past few years. Riders are often young and inexperienced, with many not wearing any kind of protection, such as a helmet, whilst drivers are still getting used to navigating the roads, alongside a fairly new vehicle, meaning accidents and injuries are inevitable.
Insurance and legalities
Rental e-scooters being ridden on the road by a registered provider are insured against accidents in public, meaning a claim could be made in the case of an accident or injury. However, if a privately owned e-scooter is being ridden on a public road, or any kind of e-scooter (rented or privately owned) is being ridden on a pavement, the rider is breaking the law making a case for a claim much more difficult. It would also be difficult to make a claim against the e-scooter driver directly.
People who use rental e-scooters on public roads do not need any kind of insurance, as the responsibility lies with the rental company to insure their vehicles.
How Speed Medical can help
Speed Medical offers a broad range of medical experts to help with all types of road traffic accident. Not all road traffic accident personal injury cases fall under MedCo, such as pedestrians and cyclists. In addition, some MedCo cases require second reports where the opinion of a specialist medical expert is required. We can help with both non MedCo cases and second reports.
Our experts are bound by Part 35 of the Civil Procedure Rules and provide an independent opinion for the courts. We work with both claimant and defendant firms to provide medico legal reports.
Surgery, physiotherapy, and mental health services
We can also facilitate any treatment requirements outlined to aid in recovery or to diagnose medical issues following an accident.
Where recommended, we’ll provide access to a range of diagnostic investigations and organise all appointments and any subsequent treatment to aid in recovery. We’ll facilitate any recommendations for rehabilitation and undertake early intervention physiotherapy where appropriate.
Not all injuries are physical, and some clients will require additional psychological support to help overcome issues raised as a result of the incident. Our nationwide panel of counsellors, psychologists and psychiatrists can provide both face to face and remote sessions.
If you would like to talk to us about how we can help your client following any kind of accident, please get in touch with our friendly team.
