Woman injured after electric scooter falls apart mid-ride

A Brussels woman is out of work for two months following a serious accident that occurred when her Dott rental scooter fell apart mid-ride.

Bruzz reports that 29-year-old Christelle had been using scooters regularly for over three years when the accident occurred on Avenue de la Reine in Schaerbeek.

“I wasn't driving very fast – I had just passed a speed bump and was going about 10 kilometres per hour,” she said.

“There were no holes or bumpy cobbles, but suddenly the steering column broke in two and I was launched onto a board that had become uncontrollable without anything to hold on to.”

Christelle subsequently fell hard, scraping her knee on the pavement before landing on her left arm and breaking her wrist. Customers at a nearby cafe terrace immediately called an ambulance.

Surgeons had to fix a pin and a plate in her arm and Christelle will be incapacitated for two months in a best case scenario.

She has since taken on a lawyer who has already served Dott with a notice of default.

“What would have happened at higher speeds or in a busy traffic flow?” Christelle points out. “How could this have happened?”

Dott has stressed that it "pays close attention to user and vehicle safety" and checks each vehicle every 10 trips and every time the battery is replaced.

Spokesperson Amandine Mauvais told Bruzz that it "regrets that this exceptional event took place".

"Our customer service team has contacted the person in question," she said. "The case is still part of a claims procedure with our insurers, who are working with us to resolve the situation quickly. We are following up this case carefully."

Dott has recorded 13 accidents in Brussels involving medical treatment since the beginning of this year.