PM (E-Scooter & Bicycle) Accident Compensation

PM (E-Scooter & Bicycle) Accident Compensation helps estimate Korea-related civil dispute, damages, evidence, settlement, and legal-cost assumptions in English.

Legal scenario inputs

Enter Korea-related court, traffic, debt, family, civil, medical-dispute, criminal, or real-estate dispute assumptions. Results are simplified planning estimates.

Civil claim recognized amount

₩4,500,000

Offset or paid amount

₩0

Net planning amount

₩4,500,000

Monthly planning amount

₩150,000

₩10,500,000 unrecovered

Personal mobility devices (e-scooters) and bicycles are not "automobiles" under Korea’s Guarantee of Automobile Accident Compensation Act, so there is no compulsory liability insurance. Compensation is claimed from the at-fault person under Civil Act Art. 750 (tort), with victim-fault offset under Art. 396/763. This English page is a simplified 2026 estimate, not legal advice.

Related calculators

What is the PM (e-scooter & bicycle) accident compensation calculator?

This calculator estimates the civil damages payable after an accident involving a personal mobility (PM) device — an electric scooter, electric bicycle, or self-balancing device — or an ordinary bicycle, under current 2026 Korean law. It adds up medical costs, lost income (temporary disability), consolation money, and future-income loss, then applies the victim’s fault offset to produce the amount actually paid or received.

A PM accident is legally very different from a car accident. Because Korea’s Guarantee of Automobile Accident Compensation Act (the “auto insurance act”) does not apply, there is no compulsory liability insurance. The victim must claim directly from the at-fault person under Civil Act Article 750 (tort). So the two key questions are not only “how much can I recover?” but also “can I realistically collect it?”

Korea-based calculator

This estimate is based on the Korean Civil Act (Arts. 750, 751, 763, 396), the Road Traffic Act (Art. 2 no. 19-2 on personal mobility devices, Art. 50(4) on helmets), and the General Insurance Association of Korea fault-ratio standards, all current for 2026. It is not legal advice and not the actual settlement. Real compensation and fault ratios depend on the facts, evidence, and case law, so consult a lawyer or a licensed loss adjuster.

Why PM accidents differ from car accidents

The decisive difference is whether the Guarantee of Automobile Accident Compensation Act applies. Article 2(1) defines an “automobile” as a vehicle governed by the Motor Vehicle Management Act. An e-scooter is a “motorized bicycle” under Road Traffic Act Art. 2 no. 19-2 (personal mobility device), and a bicycle is not even that — so neither counts as an automobile.

What follows when the auto act does not apply

  • • No compulsory insurance. There is no mandatory third-party liability cover, so the at-fault party is often uninsured.
  • • No government guarantee program. The state program that compensates hit-and-run or uninsured “automobile” victims does not cover PM or bicycles.
  • • Tort liability, not operator liability. The claim is under Civil Act Art. 750, so the victim must prove the at-fault party’s intent or negligence.
  • • The at-fault person’s ability to pay ultimately decides whether recovery is realistic.

That is why this tool also asks about the at-fault party’s insurance (none, personal liability insurance, shared-scooter operator insurance, or car insurance) and flags the real recovery risk.

How the compensation is built

Civil-law tort damages have three branches: positive loss, negative loss, and consolation money. This calculator estimates each, then applies the fault offset.

  • • Positive loss (medical + future medical): actual and expected treatment costs.
  • • Negative loss — lost income: income lost while unable to work, calculated as monthly income ÷ 30 × lost work days. Without proof of income, the 2026 daily labor wage (KRW 175,000/day) applies.
  • • Negative loss — future-income loss (disability): lost earning capacity from a permanent impairment, calculated as annual income × labor-loss rate × Hoffman coefficient. The working-age limit is 65 (Supreme Court en banc 2018Da248909).
  • • Consolation money (Civil Act Art. 751): non-economic damages, set by injury severity (minor, moderate, severe, permanent, death). Death consolation is around KRW 100 million.

The four items are summed into total damages, then reduced by the victim’s fault ratio (comparative negligence, Civil Act Arts. 396 and 763). The final estimate equals total damages × (100 − victim fault ratio) ÷ 100.

Fault ratio by accident type

Fault ratios are estimates generalized from the General Insurance Association of Korea fault-ratio standards (PM and bicycle items) and lower-court case law. Actual fault depends on speed, signals, course, and avoidability.

  • • E-scooter → pedestrian on sidewalk: the sidewalk is pedestrian-priority, so pedestrian fault is near 0.
  • • E-scooter → pedestrian at crosswalk: pedestrian fault around 0–10%.
  • • Car → e-scooter/bicycle (PM is victim): the PM rider’s base fault is 20–40%, increased by traffic-rule violations.
  • • PM ↔ PM/bicycle: equal-priority collisions start around 40–50%.
  • • Bicycle → pedestrian: pedestrian fault around 0–10%.

Factors that increase PM rider fault (legal basis)

If the e-scooter or bicycle rider violated the Road Traffic Act, the fault ratio increases. Checking the boxes below adds the weights, capped at a 90% maximum victim fault.

  • No helmet (+10%p): Road Traffic Act Art. 50(4) requires helmets for “bicycles etc.” (bicycles and PM) riders and passengers. Non-use can limit liability for head injuries.
  • Unlicensed riding (+10%p): an e-scooter needs at least a class-2 motorized-bicycle license (Art. 80).
  • Riding on the sidewalk (+15%p): PM must use the roadway or bicycle lane; sidewalk riding is generally prohibited.
  • Two or more riders (+10%p): exceeding the one-person capacity.
  • No lights at night (+10%p): violating the night lighting requirement.
  • Riding under the influence (+15%p): a serious violation under Art. 44 (DUI prohibition).
  • Signal or sign violation (+15%p): running signals, crossing the center line, and similar breaches.

How to use

Step 1: Choose the accident type and your role

Selecting the accident type sets a base fault ratio automatically. Choosing victim or at-fault switches the result between “amount to receive” and “amount to pay.”

Step 2: Enter injury severity and losses

Picking the injury severity fills in the consolation money. Enter medical cost, future medical cost, monthly income, and lost work days, and add age and labor-loss rate if there is a permanent disability.

Step 3: Check fault-aggravating factors

If you are the PM or bicycle rider, check items such as no helmet, unlicensed, or sidewalk riding. The selected weights are added to the base fault ratio.

Step 4: Select the at-fault party’s insurance and read the result

Choosing the insurance type diagnoses the real recovery odds. You can see the loss breakdown, final fault ratio, expected compensation, and the uninsured recovery risk at a glance.

Recovering from an uninsured at-fault party

If the at-fault party is uninsured, even a valid claim can be hard to collect. In that case, secure an enforceable title and then execute against the person’s assets.

  • • Certified mail (content-certified letter): state the claim and its basis clearly to open negotiations.
  • • Payment order (demand procedure): faster and cheaper than a lawsuit when the dispute is small.
  • • Small-claims trial: for claims up to KRW 30 million, a fast-track procedure.
  • • Civil lawsuit: for large losses or disputes over fault and causation, obtain a judgment.
  • • Use your own coverage: consider your uninsured-motorist rider, personal liability insurance, or indemnity health insurance first, then seek reimbursement.

Frequently asked questions

Q. Is an e-scooter accident covered by car liability insurance?

A. E-scooters and bicycles are not automobiles under the auto act, so they are not subject to compulsory car liability insurance. Only when the at-fault party is a car does that car’s insurance apply; PM-to-PM or PM-to-pedestrian accidents rely on the at-fault party’s personal liability cover.

Q. If I did not wear a helmet, do I lose my claim?

A. Not entirely, but your fault can increase. For head injuries in particular, not wearing a helmet may be seen as contributing to the harm, reducing the award by a certain proportion.

Q. A minor caused the accident on an e-scooter — who pays?

A. For a minor without capacity, the supervising guardian (parent) may be liable under Civil Act Art. 755. Unlicensed riding by a minor is itself unlawful, so fault tends to be assessed heavily.

Q. How do consolation money and future-income loss differ?

A. Consolation money compensates mental suffering (Art. 751), while future-income loss is a property loss for reduced earning capacity. They are separate items, so with a permanent disability you can claim both.

Q. Can I use the result directly as a settlement amount?

A. Use it only as a reference estimate. Actual compensation depends on medical certificates, income proof, the fault context, and case law, so for large amounts or permanent disability, consult a loss adjuster or lawyer.

Estimate the compensation now

Enter the accident type, injury severity, and fault factors to see the expected compensation and recovery odds instantly.

Calculated under 2026 Korean Civil Act and Road Traffic Act rules; pair it with professional advice for an accurate figure.