German Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig proposes new e‑scooter liability law

Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig (SPD) is pushing a draft amendment that would extend liability for e‑scooter accidents to the rental companies that operate the vehicles. Under the current rules only the rider is held responsible; if the rider cannot be identified, victims must bear the costs themselves. The proposed law would allow victims to claim compensation directly from the operators and would also make companies liable for injuries caused by scooters that are improperly parked on sidewalks, without requiring proof of driver fault.

The government points to a sharp rise in e‑scooter crashes – from about 4,000 traffic accidents in 2021 to nearly 8,000 in 2024 – and to an increase in injured persons from roughly 5,500 to almost 12,000 over the same period. Twenty‑seven people died in 2024, all of them riders. A YouGov poll shows 67 % of Germans support the new liability rules. The amendment is slated for a Bundestag vote later this week.

Recent local collisions, such as a Würzburg incident where an e‑scooter rider fled the scene after hitting a cyclist, and a crash in Immendingen involving a pedelec and an e‑scooter, illustrate the growing safety concerns prompting the legislative change.