Camps Solicitors have learned that the British government is conducting a review into regulations covering the use of mobility scooters in town centres after a spate of accidents in which pedestrians have been killed or seriously injured.
The Commons’ Transport Committee has issued warnings that the increased use of the electric-powered scooters, which are legally defined as invalid carriages, will lead to a corresponding increase in the number of accidents that they are involved in. This summer an 84-year-old woman was killed after being knocked down in Sunderland and in Kent a 60-year-old suffered a broken leg after a similar accident involving a mobility scooter.
The scooters are limited to a speed of 4 mph whilst on the pavement, but with a weight of 100kilos + passenger, they can impact with a considerable amount of force. This has led to the calls for all mobility scooter drivers to pass a test of basic competency before being allowed to operate the vehicles. In comments published in the Telegraph newspaper, Labour MP Graham Stringer said,
“There should be some kind of standard. People should be able to show they can handle these things without damaging themselves. There are people who are clearly not safe and they do not even have basic competence. The trouble is they are handling something with several horsepower and these have the potential to cause serious damage.”
If you have been injured in an accident that involved mobility scooter that was negligently or carelessly driven, then Camps Solicitors may be in a position to help you. We will look at the circumstances of your accident and decide whether we can help you to make a No Win No Fee compensation claim against either the user of the mobility scooter, or the hire company that supplied it.
Call 0800 092 8586
Speak to one of our claims advisors about your claim.
