Scooter accidents are extremely common on British public roads. If you have been injured whilst riding your scooter and it was caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. Similar to motorbike accidents, scooter accidents also have the potential to lead to severe injuries, even at relatively low speeds.

Scooter riders are more likely to be exposed to dangerous circumstances on the road due to the fact that scooters provide much less protection than a car and are much more exposed. Therefore, the injuries that you may sustain in scooter accidents can be more much serious than car accidents and can have a huge effect on your life or even cause a fatality.

Additionally, there are now new types of scooters that are on the rise, such as electronic scooters, that are surrounded by uncertainty. It has recently been made illegal to ride electric scooters on a public road as the number of e scooters that were involved in accidents was rising.

If you sustained an accident on a scooter, it is likely that you have many questions regarding what you can make a compensation claim for and how you should proceed with it.

Common causes of scooter accident claims

There are many causes of accidents on scooters. Below are some examples of the most common accidents that happen that lead to scooter accident compensation claims:

• Collision with a car or other vehicle.
• Accidents involving drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
• Accidents with pedestrians on the road.
• Accidents caused by debris that has been left in the road.
• Accidents caused by potholes or road damage.
• Injury by dangerous driving.
• Scooter accidents caused due to manufacturing issues.

Injuries caused by scooter accidents

Common injuries that may occur as a result of these accidents are:

• Back injuries
• Broken bones or fractures
• Neck injuries, including whiplash
• Concussion or any other type of head injury
• Nerve damage
• Soft tissue damage
• Muscle tendon or ligament damage
• Amputations
• Burn injuries
• Lacerations and scarring
• Fatal injuries

As well as these physical injuries, psychological symptoms following scooter accidents are common and can be just as debilitating. These symptoms include mental injuries such as depression or anxiety.

Scooter Accidents: can I make a claim?

If you have been knocked off your scooter, or if you have been involved in a scooter crash, and the accident was caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be able to claim compensation for what has happened. However, it is imperative that you are able to establish blame and provide evidence to back up this claim if you are to secure compensation.

In some cases, if you are partly to blame for the accident, you may still be able to make a claim. This is because some insurance claims are settled on a split-liability basis. This means that you will receive less compensation depending on your share of the liability.

Contact us today to find out if you could make a no-win, no-fee claim for your scooter accident.

What should I do after a scooter accident?

As mentioned in the previous section, you will need evidence to support your scooter accident claim. Therefore, if you are involved in a scooter accident, we recommend that you:

• Find out if there were any witnesses and ask them for their details to be contacted at a later date as they may be able to back up your claim.
• Attend your local GP surgery or visit an A&E medical centre to have your injuries assessed and treated.
• Take photographs of the scene and of the motor vehicle involved in the incident, if possible, and when it is safe to do so.
• Swap details with the other person involved.
• Report the incident to your insurance company as soon as possible.
• Contact a solicitor to find out if you could make a claim.

The evidence that you collect could help ensure your scooter accident claim is successful; therefore, you should collect as much evidence as possible provided that it is safe for you to do so.

Scooter Accidents: what can I claim for?

A claim for personal injury is made up of two areas; we call these general damages and special damages.

General Damages – This is the amount you receive for your pain, suffering and inconvenience, as well as all the difficulty you faced as a result of this.

To calculate this amount, we look at previous cases which are similar to yours, together with guidelines that are issued to Judges who decide the outcome of such claims if they go to Court. Your case will be valued on the basis of your injuries as described by suitably qualified medical professionals within a medical report.

Special Damages – These are any direct financial losses that you may have suffered as a result of your injuries. Typically, these may include loss of earnings up to the settlement, loss of earnings in the future or the costs of care provided to you.

How can Wildwood Legal help?

Lots of firms will claim to be ‘specialists’ in scooter and motorbike claims. But are they? What experience do they have?

Any rider knows that you need to be a rider to understand what it is actually like on the road.

Our Personal Injury Consultant, Stephen Hattersley, has been riding scooters since an early age. He had his first bike at the age of 16. He rides a scooter to work every day and has been acting for scooter riders for over 20 years; he is also the resident legal specialist in answering legal questions for readers of Scootering Magazine.

We understand that as carefully as you ride, you can’t always escape the dangers that can occur on the road. We know the usual causes of accidents and will help you piece things together afterwards, providing the best possible advice at all times.

We always strive to put you at ease and explain the process clearly. Our aim is to obtain a great outcome for your case, we value the opinion of our clients, and we will always listen to you and take on board what you say. Most importantly, we are on your side.

We promise to guide you through every step of the claims process and do our very best to get the maximum possible level of compensation for you.

You can contact us by phone at 0113 320 5000 or by email info@winstonsolicitors.co.uk.

Wildwood Legal is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.