Can I claim after accident caused by e-scooter?
I was riding along at a leisurely pace when a young lad on an e-scooter pulled out of a junction straight into my path. I narrowly managed to avoid clattering into him, but ended up losing control and coming off for all my trouble. Unbelievably, the lad didn’t stop – instead, he carried on like nothing had happened before casually taking the scooter up onto the pavement and out of sight, never to be seen again.
Fortunately, I wasn’t hurt too badly – just some bruised ribs which were sore for about a month or so from a rough landing. My main concern was the cosmetic damage to my bike, which was TPFT.
Is there any prospect of getting the repair costs back? I spoke to a friend who is a lawyer, but not a motorbike specialist, and he wasn’t hopeful. Is it relevant that Cardiff doesn’t have an e-scooter trial?
Rory, Cardiff
Answer
The fact that the e-scooter rider cannot have been on the road legally is not a bar to bringing a claim. The Motor Insurers’ Bureau pay out for vehicle damage in cases involving untraced drivers, like yours, but only in circumstances where ‘significant’ injuries were sustained.
In order to qualify as ‘significant’, any injuries must have required two or more nights of consecutive inpatient care or three or more sessions of out-patient treatment. There is also an excess of £400.
Based on the description of your injuries it seems unlikely that they would meet the criteria, however, you could make a claim for the injuries and use any compensation towards the repairs.
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