Dangerous glitch sends Brisbane Lime rider flying off scooter

A dangerous glitch that has affected Lime scooters overseas is also sending Brisbane riders flying as the company confirms it is investigating the issue.

A Brisbane man has filed an injury claim with the electric scooter hire company after the front wheel on the scooter he was riding suddenly locked up and threw him to the ground.

Jordan Madigan's heel was ripped open by a Lime scooter in Brisbane in January.

Jordan Madigan, 26, said he was thrown off the scooters three times in January, with the first two instances happening on the Story Bridge and the third on Shafston Avenue in East Brisbane.

On the second occasion, the Lime scooter swung around and ripped open the back of Mr Madigan's foot as it hit him, he said.

"The first time I was going at the maximum speed and on pretty flat bitumen when it just stopped. The front wheel locked up and I flew off and rolled along the ground," he said.

"I didn’t really think too much at the time. I thought the front wheel had locked up but it happened so quickly.

"I kept riding at half-speed in case it happened again, and a week later it did.

The second time, he managed to jump off because he was riding more slowly.

"The front wheel locked and swung the back of the scooter around and it hit me as it came around," he said.

"I thought I had hurt my foot but I kept riding the scooter home.

"But then it happened again about five-to-10 minutes later, so I stopped and got an Uber home.

"I had a leather work shoe on, but it was blood-soaked from the wound on the back of my heel. It had been cut open."

Mr Madigan said the injury left him needing stitches, on crutches and not being able to wear anything but loose sneakers for weeks.

Previously, he used the scooters every day to get to and from work but hadn't used one since.

Mr Madigan said his roommate and another mutual friend told him they had also had the front wheel lock up while they were riding the scooters.

Lime confirmed the problem affected New Zealand riders and told Auckland Council it was caused by "a software glitch". There have also been reports of the glitch affecting scooters in Switzerland.

The electric scooter operator has refunded the cost of the ride that resulted in Mr Madigan's injury and his separate claim is being reviewed.

In a statement, a Lime spokeswoman confirmed the company was aware of the issue affecting Brisbane's electric scooter fleet.

"We recently became aware of an operational issue affecting certain scooters," she said.

"While the issue is still under investigation, user safety is our first priority and affected scooters have been removed from circulation.

"In the meantime, we have proactively engaged regulators as we work to eliminate these incidents, and we are in the process of continuing to develop early detection and additional preventative measures for our entire global fleet."

The spokeswoman noted the company's public liability insurance in Brisbane exceeded $20 million - "above state and council requirements".

"This coverage is there for riders and the public if something goes wrong," she said.

"While on a scooter, riders are responsible to obeying the road rules including wearing a helmet, following the speed limit and only having one person riding at a time."

Lime did not comment on the status of Mr Madigan's injury claim and did not provide an explanation for the front wheels locking up.