GOLF CART ACCIDENT ATTORNEYS

IF YOU OR A LOVED ONE SUFFERED  INJURIES IN A GOLF CART ACCIDENT, YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION.

GOLF CART INJURY LAWYERS

If you or a loved one are injured in a golf cart accident, you may have the right to monetary compensation. Our injury lawyers can help. Call us to schedule a FREE, confidential consultation with a knowledgeable Golf Cart Accident Attorney.

Golf carts are simple, easy-to-operate vehicles convenient to golfers and staff at the golf course. However, golf carts pose risks for accidents, particularly if there is horseplay or alcohol involved.

If you were injured in a crash related to golf carts, our injury attorneys could help. While many of our golf cart crash clients are concerned about suing their friends, your friends are not who will foot the bill. We often settle claims out of court, using homeowners insurance from the driver.

The insurer will compensate victims for medical bills, lost income, and personal injuries. In addition, third parties, such as golf course owners or golf cart manufacturers, can also be held responsible. If that is the case, we will also start negotiations with their insurance companies.

Taking the case forward following a golf cart accident is important, as injuries are often severe. In addition, golf carts do not have many safety standards in cars and trucks, such as doors, seatbelts, airbags, and antilock brakes. As a result, these vehicles can travel up to 25 miles per hour and are very vulnerable to rollovers.

All this makes it much more likely that your injuries will not be light. Of an estimated 15,000 annual incidents with a golf cart, about 13,000 will require you to go to a hospital emergency room. Young males aged 10-19 make up almost 40% of all golf car accidents, and half of these accidents result from either being thrown from the golf cart or falling off.

There are no specific laws regarding golf carts, but under state law, they are required to have licenses just like other vehicles. It’s wise to only operate golf carts where the speed limit is less than thirty-five miles per hour. Golf cart drivers must follow the same traffic laws as anyone else and be aware of other traffic. If you spot cars getting ahead, the best thing to do is stop and allow them to pass, as long as you are in a safe place. All golf cart drivers are required to wear a seatbelt.

The cart must have lights, tail lights, turn signals, brake lights, mirrors, tires that meet DOT specifications, windshield, and windshield wipers that meet DOT specifications.

Can you get a ticket for riding in a golf cart? Yes, you are subject to the same motor vehicle laws that apply if you are driving your golf cart on public roads. You could get ticketed for speeding or running a red light, arrested for driving while intoxicated, and more. If you are driving your cart on private property, such as at a golf course or club, the police would not have any basis for ticketing you most of the time.

However, there is often security personnel at those facilities. One of their jobs is to keep clubs free from liability by preventing incidents in which people can get injured.

So, if you are driving unsafely on private property, an establishment’s security or leadership team will likely tell you to pull over. Then, depending on the circumstances, they might ask you to get out.

We have seen many people injured in their legs and feet because of doing so, and some need casts, surgery, or months of physical therapy. It is best to keep all your limbs in your golf cart and have your passengers do the same if you are driving. Not only could you hurt your feet, but you might also cause the golf cart to crash if your legs or feet get caught in anything.

Others would like to get into the race for a golf cart. Those are not great ideas.

You should go much slower in many cases than the 25 mph maximum for LSVs. If it is a poor weather situation, low visibility, or driving in a busy area with lots of people moving, you should go a long way slower. Another misconception is that since golf carts are not going fast, you cannot be injured in one; therefore, driving while impaired is not as dangerous as driving while impaired would be. A car could go 40 MPH or faster during a crash, and higher speeds typically carry higher risks of injury.

But cars have many safety features that a golf cart does not, such as airbags and doors. It is also possible to get hurt at lower speeds, particularly by being thrown off a cart. If you are drunk, have someone who is a sober ride in the cart. Distracted driving is a problem in the golf cart, like driving while intoxicated. Your text messages might be waiting for you to pull over.

Eating, drinking, turning around, and looking at passengers can be troublesome distractions, too. Often, it involves one of the latter three causes. Sometimes, individuals might even perform stunts on the golf cart or try other unsafe maneuvers. Therefore, if you see anyone driving unruly at the golf course, it is best to inform the course or club officials.

As noted above, they usually will have security officers trained to deal with such situations. Maintain as much of a gap as you can from an aggressive driver in the interim. Wet or muddy terrain, or uneven surfaces, could be significant hazards on a small, square-shaped vehicle such as a golf cart.

If you can drive through those areas, it is a better idea. If you cannot, then you have to proceed slowly and cautiously.

We have seen many cases of a cart that just rolls off the ground after being stopped. In addition to potentially damaging the motor in the cart, it could end up tipping over. This is another common way that golf carts are flipped. Always slow down and carefully rotate your wheels as you enter the turn.

There are two common problems: Overcrowding and passenger standing. Anyone standing in the carriage makes the car heavier at the top, increasing the risk of tipping. Similarly, packing too many people into the cart unsettles it, particularly if passengers are moving or additional people are sitting on one side. Riding in a rear rack is another potential issue.

If you are carrying lots of people, be clear that you will not overload your cart, then take more trips. If your passengers continue trying to stand or engage in other unsafe behaviors, pull up the cart until you can convince them to settle or exit. Always keep an eye on other people and the cart, animals, and any obstacles in the terrain you are driving over.

A golf cart is not a toy and should not be treated as such. If your passengers are messing about and creating distractions, pull up your cart and offer to let them go outside and continue their antics elsewhere. Do not take more passengers than a golf cart is designed to hold. Children should be placed halfway up the cart, between the two adults, to lessen the risk of falling off the cart.

Standing on a golf cart causes your center of gravity to shift, causing the cart to potentially tip. In addition, excessive speed while turning may result in a flipping cart.

What types of injuries occur in golf cart accidents? In many cases, patients recover over time, but they can, in some situations, sustain permanent brain damage or suffer from a chronic headache. Soft-tissue injuries may be painful, but spinal fractures or injuries to the spinal cord may result in permanent paralysis. Other people may experience chronic back or neck pain following an injury.

These often happen during a rollover or flipped accident, where a driver or passenger is knocked out of a carriage, then the carriage falls onto them. Crash injuries can include injuries to muscles, bones, internal organs, or tissues caused by prolonged compression from something heavy (in this case, typically a golf cart). Damage may also occur to the windpipe or asphyxiation.

The litigation attorneys at our firm have been helping accident victims obtain injury compensation for years. So, for example, if you were injured in a golf cart crash caused by the negligent actions of another, you might have the right to damages.

We recommend you get some legal advice before speaking with your insurance adjuster. Keep in mind that insurance companies are not your friend. We will discuss your injuries, rights, and options during a free consultation. Most victims who have suffered serious injuries from a golf cart accident are dealing with costly medical care, mounting medical bills, lost wages from being unable to work, and pain and suffering.

Every Year, Golf Carts Injure More Than 6,500 Children

In a national study, a group from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia examined injuries related to golf carts among children and teens, finding that injuries had increased in recent years to over 6,500 per year, with slightly over half the injuries occurring among people ages 12 or younger. The study, Nationwide Trends in Motorized Golf Cart-Related Injuries from 2010-2019, which will be presented at the AAP Conference and Exposition, also evaluated injuries by gender, injury type, location of the accident, injury severity, and events associated with the injury.

Researchers discovered 63,501 injuries using motorized golf carts among kids and teenagers over the course of the nearly 10-year study period, with the number rising substantially each year. “I think it is important we increase the awareness about the severity and types of injuries golf carts cause children, including preschoolers, so that we can implement better prevention measures going forward,” said Dr. Theodore J. Ganley, director of the Center for Sports Medicine and Performance at CHOP and chairman of the AAPs orthopedics section. Over the last decade, powered golf carts have grown increasingly popular and are increasingly accessible for recreational use at various events.

Regulations differ by state, but in many places, children as young as 14 are allowed to operate these vehicles with little supervision, opening up a pathway to injuries. In addition, children riding golf carts driven by others may get knocked over and injured or suffer severe injuries if a cart rolls over. Because of this concerning trend, researchers determined that it was necessary to extend earlier reports that examined injuries from early periods on golf carts, as well as examine present-day injury patterns. Injuries occurred at higher rates among men than women. The most common type of injury was superficial injuries.

Fractures and dislocations, which are more serious, were the second most frequent injury group. Most injuries occurred on the head and neck. Most injuries were not serious, and most patients were treated and released from hospital/medical facilities. School and sporting events were the most common locations of injuries.

The authors urge that the updated data could be used to enhance safety guidelines and regulations that would help prevent injuries resulting from the use of motorized golf carts, particularly among at-risk youth populations.