The publication of a parliamentary report on mobility scooters has sparked concern among users about the liabilities they might face .

Fish Insurance has received a flood of calls after media discussion of the House of Commons Transport Committee report. This called for greater regulation of scooters whilst acknowledging that little data existed on how many are in use and the number and type of accidents they might be involved in.

Media coverage focused on calls for testing and compulsory insurance and highlighted cases involving serious and fatal injuries. Fish says this has prompted concerns among users about the potential liabilities they might face.

“We welcome the debate and in particular support the calls made for more data to be sourced before any consideration is given to the introduction of new regulations,” commented Elissa Foster, chief executive of the company. She added: “The discussion has also focused the minds of scooter owners on the liabilities they might face should they cause an injury or death. Typically we see claims for accidental damage but where injuries do occur five and six figure liabilities are not at all unusual.”
 
“A scooter owner who hits a pedestrian and causes a leg fracture could face a claim for £10,000 and other injuries attract much higher awards, with one current case valued at £120,000.  We regard insurance, which includes third party cover, as a sensible precaution against the possible risks mobility scooter owners can face. We’re talking less than £70 a year for real peace of mind at a time when someone is reportedly facing the loss of the family home due to an uninsured scooter accident. ”