While golf carts are useful on the golf course, they come with their own hazards. They roll over easily and are often driven by those with no safety training. Additionally, these vehicles have no safety features like those found in cars, such as airbags or seatbelts.
According to a 2008 study, there were over 150,000 golf cart injuries treated in emergency rooms over a 12 year period.
During the study period, these injuries were on the rise. Thirty percent of these injuries were to children under the age of sixteen, and most happen at a sports facility, such as a golf course.
Golf cart injuries are most often soft tissue abrasions, but they can be much more serious, such as bone fractures, spinal cord injury, brain injury, or even death. When injured in a golf cart, you may have cause to file a lawsuit if someone else is liable for the injury.
To prove liability, you must prove that there was negligence involved, that is, someone did not take reasonable precautions to prevent the injury. There are many factors that can affect liability, such as who owns the golf cart, who was driving, and if anyone was intoxicated.
Lawsuits related to golf cart injuries have occurred in the past. In 2012, there was a $5 million settlement for a man who was disabled when he was thrown off the back of a golf cart.
Defendants included both the manufacturer of the golf cart, and the company that owned the golf cart and who hired the driver. The manufacturer, Textron Inc was accused of not adequately warning against sitting in the back of the cart, while the New Hampshire Motor Speedway was accused of inadequate driver training and failing to post speed limits.
The injured man, who was awarded the settlement, still requires assistance for daily activities.
If filing a lawsuit is the step that is next to be taken, the statute of limitations must be taken into account. For personal injuries, the statute of limitations varies from state to state. In some states, lawsuits can be filed up to four years after the incident, but other states have much shorter time frames.
It’s best to file as soon as a claim is clear. Don’t wait, connect with an expert golf cart injury lawyer today at After Personal Injury.
