Did another road user negligently collide with your mobility scooter, resulting in your injuries? If so, learn about mobility scooter accident claims by reading this guide. From this, you will learn how to claim compensation with our experienced solicitors.
Key Takeaways In Mobility Scooter Accident Claims
- To be eligible to claim, a road user must have breached their duty of care (a legal responsibility for another’s reasonable safety), causing your injuries.
- The amount of compensation you are awarded depends on the injuries you sustained and the financial losses you incurred.
- You must start your claim within three years of the accident. However, some exceptions apply to this rule.
- When making a claim, you must provide evidence that proves how the third party was liable for your injuries.
- Our solicitors may help you claim compensation on a No Win No Fee basis.
To start your mobility scooter accident claim today, get in touch with our helpful advisors by:
- Visiting our contact page
- Calling us on 0800 073 8804
- Messaging us on our live web chat
Jump To A Section
- What Are Mobility Scooter Accident Claims?
- Rules On Using Mobility Scooters In The UK
- Common Causes Of Mobility Scooter Accident Claims
- Are There Time Limits In Scooter Accident Claims?
- What Evidence Do I Need To Prove A Mobility Scooter Accident Claim?
- Average Compensation Amounts In Scooter Claims
- Making A No Win No Fee Mobility Scooter Accident Claim
- Learn More
What Are Mobility Scooter Accident Claims?
Mobility scooters are designed to support those who struggle with walking. They are single-seated vehicles that are powered with batteries and can be used both on the roads and indoors.
When driving on the roads in a mobility scooter, you are owed a duty of care by other road users who must use the roads safely to avoid causing you harm. Therefore, they must follow the provisions of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Highway Code. Failure to do so would breach their duty and potentially result in your injuries.
If a road user was responsible for causing your injuries in a mobility scooter accident, you may be eligible to claim if:
- The road user owed you a duty of care
- The road user breached this duty
- This resulted in your injuries
Can I Make A Claim If I Am Hit By A Mobility Scooter
If you were a pedestrian and a mobility scooter collided with you, causing your injuries, get in touch with our team today to find out if you are eligible to claim compensation.
Rules On Using Mobility Scooters In The UK
If you require the use of a mobility scooter in the UK, there are a number of rules you must adhere to for your safety and the safety of others, for example:
- There are eyesight requirements you must meet depending on the class of the mobility scooter.
- When using a mobility scooter to drive on the roads, it must be a class 3 scooter, or not in a class, and meet requirements such as having an effective braking system, front and rear lights and direction indicators.
- Mobility scooter users must follow the highway code
- Mobility scooter users cannot drive on the bus lanes, cycle lanes, or motorways.
- Mobility scooters in class three or ones in no class must be registered with the DVLA.
If you were injured in a mobility scooter accident, get in touch with our helpful advisors today.
Common Causes Of Mobility Scooter Accident Claims
Typically, mobility scooter accidents happen when road users fail to adhere to driving laws and breach their duty of care. Some examples of how mobility scooter accidents happen due to a road user’s negligent driving include:
- When road users fail to slow down on time or at all
- When road users fail to complete observation and mirror checks
- When road users overtake mobility scooters when it is not safe to do so
- When road users fail to maintain a safe distance with mobility scooters
Typical Scooter Accident Injuries
Some of the common injuries mobility scooter accidents may result in include:
Get in touch with our helpful advisors if you have been injured in a mobility scooter accident to find out if you are eligible to claim compensation.
Are There Time Limits In Scooter Accident Claims?
As with all personal injury claims, you must make your claim within three years of your accident, as this is a requirement of the Limitation Act 1980. However, some exceptions may apply to this rule, such as:
- If the claimant is a minor, the three-year time limit will be paused until they reach the age of eighteen and will run until they reach the age of twenty-one.
- If the claimant lacks mental capacity, and this is recognised under the Mental Capacity Act 2005, the time limit will not run. However, the time limit will commence if the claimant regains mental capacity.
If the time limit is paused on a claim, a litigation friend may be appointed to act on behalf of the claimant during the claims process. Our friendly advisors can explain this to you in more detail if necessary.
Contact our helpful advisors to find out if you are within the claims time limit and start your compensation claim today.
What Evidence Do I Need To Prove A Mobility Scooter Accident Claim?
When making a mobility scooter accident claim, you must be able to prove how the third party was responsible for your injuries. To establish liability, you must provide evidence that supports your claim, such as:
- Medical reports that state your injuries
- CCTV or dashcam footage of your accident
- Police or fire reports- if they were called to the scene
- Third-party insurance details- if they were collected
- The contact details of witnesses willing to provide statements at a later date
Gathering evidence and establishing third-party liability is one of the most important elements of the claims process. We understand that you may struggle to obtain evidence. However, our solicitors may support you with this.
Contact our team of advisors today to learn more about evidence in mobility scooter accident claims.
Average Compensation Amounts In Scooter Claims
If you are eligible to start a mobility scooter accident claim, you may ask, ‘How much compensation am I entitled to?’ Although we cannot give you a definitive figure at this time, we can explain how compensation is calculated and provide some examples.
In personal injury claims, compensation is split into the heads of claim, general damages and special damages.
Under general damages, you may be compensated for any physical or psychological injuries you sustained in your accident. This award is calculated using documents such as an independent medical assessor’s report and guidelines provided by the Judicial College (JCG) to ensure awards are fair.
The JCG is a document that presents suggestive compensation guidelines for many injuries. The table below provides examples from the JCG, except from the top figure. However, please remember they are suggestive figures only.
| Injuries | Compensation Guideline | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Serious Injuries and Significant Financial Losses | Up to £500,000 plus | Multiple of the most serious injuries that are life-threatening and result in significant financial losses. |
| Moderate Brain Damage (i) | £183,190 to £267,340 | The injured have suffered from moderate to severe intellectual deficit and a change to their personality. The injury also impacted their sight, speech and senses resulting in no employment prospects. |
| Severe Back Injuries (i) | £111,150 to £196,450 | Damage to the spinal cord and nerve roots. The injured will have severe pain, incomplete paralysis and impaired bladder, bowel and sexual function. |
| Severe (ii) Neck Injuries | £80,240 to £159,770 | Injuries involving severe fractures or damage to discs. This may result in permanent damage and loss of movement. |
| Arm Injuries that cause Permanent and Substantial Disablement | £47,810 to £73,050 | Fractures to one or both forearms that are serious and cause significant permanent residual disability (cosmetic or functional). |
| Severe Leg Injuries -Serious | £47,840 to £66,920 | Compound or comminuted fractures or ligament injuries that require prolonged treatment and no weight-bearing. |
| Moderate Pelvis and Hip Injuries (ii) | £15,37 to £32,450 | If the injury required hip surgery or replacement was successfully performed, the award would come from the top end of the bracket. This bracket may include ongoing symptoms. |
| Moderate Foot Injuries | £16,770 to £30,500 | Displaced metatarsal fractures causing permanent disformity. This may cause osteoarthritis. |
| Multiple Fractures of Facial Bones | £18,180 to £29,220 | Facial fractures resulting in permanent facial deformity. |
| Multiple Lacerations that are Noticeable or One Disfiguring Scar | £9,560 to £27,740 | A few laceration scars that are noticeable or a disfiguring scar to the leg(s), arm(s), hand(s), back or chest. |
Special Damages In Mobility Scooter Accident Claims
If your injuries led to you incurring financial losses, you may be compensated for this under the head of claim special damages. Some examples of special damages include:
- Lost wages
- Lost work benefits such as holiday entitlement, bonuses and pension contributions
- Healthcare, childcare and travel costs
- Payments towards special equipment and home adjustments that were essential to support you after your injuries
You must provide evidence of your financial losses, such as wage slips, bank statements and receipts.
To learn more about how much compensation you may be awarded, get in touch with our helpful advisors today.
Making A No Win No Fee Mobility Scooter Accident Claim
If you have been injured in a mobility scooter accident, you may want to claim compensation for your suffering. If so, our experienced solicitors are here to use their expertise and support you by:
- Walking you through the claims process
- Explaining key terminology and legal documents
- Helping you to obtain evidence and using this to build your case
- Explaining how compensation is calculated and discussing potential awards with you
- Negotiating compensation settlements with third parties
We understand that you may be worried about the cost of legal representation. However, our solicitors work on a No Win No Fee basis. They provide this service under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), which means that you do not need to pay upfront solicitor fees.
If your claim is successful, you must pay our solicitors a success fee. If you sign a CFA, our solicitors will take a minimal percentage of your compensation that is legally capped for their success fee. If your claim is unsuccessful, you are not required to pay our solicitors a success fee.
Contact Us
To start your mobility scooter accident claim today, get in touch with our helpful advisors by:
- Visiting our contact page
- Calling us on 0800 073 8804
- Messaging us on our live web chat
Learn More
Access the helpful links below to learn more about personal injury claims:
- Learn about the personal injury claims process
- Learn about what types of injury claims you could make
- Learn how to get more money for personal injury claims
References:
- Find your closest urgent care centre, NHS.UK
- Learn more about seatbelt laws, GOV.UK
- Learn more about statutory sick pay, GOV.UK
Thank you for taking the time to read this guide on mobility scooter accident claims. We hope this was helpful.
