Germany puts the squeeze on Lime and Bolt with tougher e-scooter liability rules

Published on

10/07/2026 - 14:13 GMT+2

Germany is moving to close a legal loophole that has left e-scooter accident victims unable to claim compensation by making rental companies such as Lime and Bolt directly liable for accidents involving their vehicles.

The bill would also cover accidents caused by scooters left blocking pavements. Under the new rules, operators face strict liability as owners regardless of fault, while riders will be presumed at fault unless they can prove otherwise.

Meanwhile under the current rules, victims of scooter accidents must prove the rider was at fault — a standard that is often impossible to meet when the rider cannot be identified. The new law would make it significantly easier to claim compensation

“The economic benefits of these services are largely enjoyed by fleet operators as vehicle holders,” the German Federal Ministry for Justice and Consumer Protection said in its justification for the bill.

“It therefore appears logical that whoever benefits from an activity should also bear the risk it creates,” it added.

It would apply to e-scooters and some self-balancing vehicles, but not e-bikes.

The German government argues that the current rules no longer reflect the rapid growth of e-scooters on German streets.

Rising concerns about e-scooter accidents across Europe

The number of insured e-scooters increased more than fivefold, from 180,000 in 2020 to 990,000 in 2023, according to the German Insurance Association.

Third-party damage claims rose from 1,150 in 2020 to 5,000 in 2024. Rental scooters represented around one-fifth of insured e-scooters in 2023 but accounted for roughly 40% of those claims, according to the German Insurance Association.

Beyond collisions and pavement obstructions, authorities have also warned that the lithium-ion batteries used in e-scooters can cause serious fires when damaged, faulty or charged incorrectly.

Safety and public-space concerns have led several European cities to remove shared e-scooters.

Paris ended rental services in 2023 after a public vote, while Madrid withdrew operators’ licences in 2024 over failures to control riding and parking.

Prague removed shared e-scooters from its streets in January 2026, and Brussels plans to follow in January 2027.