The cost of damages paid out to people injured in the UK by e-scooters and e-bikes has topped £110m, the BBC has learned. Only seven years since the first claim was made, the biggest individual payout reached £20m. Such claims have also led to premiums for drivers being pushed up, to effectively cover the bill for insurers.
Claims and Payouts
The Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB), the not-for-profit organisation that pays compensation to victims of accidents involving uninsured vehicles, reported that the cumulative total paid out rose from £51m to £110m in the past 12 months. In 2025, there were 168 claims for accidents involving e-scooters and e-bikes—the highest figure so far. The first claim paid by the MIB for an e-scooter injury was in 2019, and the first for an e-bike injury was in 2020.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total payouts (cumulative) | £110m |
| Increase in past 12 months | £51m to £110m |
| Number of claims in 2025 | 168 |
| Largest individual payout | £20m |
In the worst single case, a child suffered catastrophic life-changing injuries and was paid £20m.
Victim Account and Legal Consequences
One victim, Alison (not her real name), suffered a broken pelvis, wrist, and finger as well as cuts and bruises when she was hit by a private e-scooter while crossing a road in Coventry last year. She hopes to get compensation. CCTV footage shows 47-year-old Trevor Chandler, from Coventry, riding his e-scooter directly into her and a friend, then leaving the scene. Chandler broke his leg but escaped, before eventually being arrested and jailed for 15 months. His vehicle was destroyed.
"It was a lovely sunny day so we were all in a really good mood," Alison said. "Then the next thing I knew, it was just gravel and I was on the floor."
Regulatory Concerns and Premium Impact
The MIB wants the sale of e-scooters, e-bikes, and similar vehicles to be better regulated and in some cases banned. Privately owned e-scooters can only legally be used on private land with the owner's permission. Regular police enforcement operations lead to hundreds being seized and destroyed every year, along with hundreds of e-bikes that have been adapted to go faster than 15.5mph, the maximum legal speed.
The cost of payouts has been a major contributor to increases in annual premiums for ordinary members of the public, experts say. The MIB is funded by a levy on main insurance companies, meaning higher premiums for everyone paying motor insurance.
Trade and Business Implications
For CFOs and treasury directors in the insurance and mobility sectors, the £110m payout figure underscores a growing liability class. Motor insurers may need to reassess risk models and pricing for micromobility vehicles, which are legally classified as motor vehicles. The rising claims trend—168 in 2025 versus zero in 2018—could lead to further premium inflation across the UK motor insurance market, affecting both corporate fleet costs and personal lines. Investors tracking insurance sector trends should monitor regulatory developments, as tighter rules on e-scooter and e-bike sales may alter loss projections.
