Golf cart accidents that result in injuries are more common than you may think. According to an American Journal of Preventive Medicine study, nearly 10,000 people per year in the United States required emergency medical care in the aftermath of a golf cart accident during the study period.
Whether you were a passenger in a golf cart and were injured because of a mistake your driver made or a golf cart struck you while you were riding a bicycle or walking in your neighborhood, it is possible that you could suffer life altering injuries in this type of crash.
The team at Bogin, Munns & Munns has seen the consequences of these types of accidents far too often. Victims do have the ability to seek compensation from the party that caused the accident. A Kissimmee golf cart accident lawyer is ready to help. For a free case review, call us at (407) 870-1919 today.
There is a Lack of Safety Features to Prevent Accidents on Golf Carts
The original design of a golf cart was for a type of powered vehicle for use at low speeds either on the grass of a golf course or on a paved or graveled golf cart path.
These carts were not made for use on public roads that they would have to share with cars, trucks, and bicycles. Therefore, they do not have a lot of the safety features that are found on other vehicles made for public road use. Some of the safety items missing on a golf cart that you find on a typical motor vehicle include:
- Safety lighting
- Headlights
- Windshield wipers
- Turn signal lights
- Brake lights
- Seatbelts
- Airbags
- Lack of protective frame around passengers
- Lack of doors
- Rear view and side mirrors
- Speedometers
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Risk of Injuries
Without these types of safety features built into the golf cart, those riding in the cart could be at risk of an injury, even a significant injury that requires hospitalization, in a crash that seems minor. Even though golf carts travel at far slower speeds than motor vehicles, the lack of safety features makes even a low speed crash potentially dangerous.
Sometimes, a golf cart passenger can suffer a major injury without the golf cart striking a stationary object or another kind of hazard. If the cart operator turns too sharply, the passenger in the cart could be ejected, sliding out the side because the centrifugal force is too great, according to Technology Associates. This can lead to broken bones or a head injury.
Proving Negligence
To have the best chance of winning a favorable judgment in a personal injury claim, you need to show that the party that caused your injury, usually the operator of the golf cart, behaved in a reckless or negligent manner.
This does not mean you have to show that the operator purposefully tried to cause your injuries. It simply means that the operator could have taken a different action that would have prevented the golf cart crash and your injury.
If you choose to retain a Kissimmee golf cart accident lawyer from Bogin, Munns & Munns, the attorney can take over the negotiations with the insurance company for the responsible party. This leaves you more time to focus on healing. Contact our team today at (407) 870-1919 for a free consultation.
Kissimmee Golf Cart Accident Lawyer Near Me
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Children are at a Higher Risk for Injuries in Golf Cart Crashes
Unfortunately, accidents involving golf carts seem to cause injuries to children more often than they should. Sometimes, this occurs because of a simple accident that was no one’s fault. Other times, though, the negligence of someone is clear, opening the possibility of a personal injury claim.
Some of the types of golf cart crashes and incidents that can result in an injury to a child include the following.
Child Operator
Some parents will allow their children to drive a golf cart around an acreage or the neighborhood, assuming the golf cart is safe. However, the lack of safety features in the cart and a lackadaisical attitude from parents can create significantly dangerous situations for child operators.
If your child’s friend was giving your child a ride in the family golf cart without your knowledge, and your child suffered some sort of injury after a crash or after being ejected, you may be able to file a personal injury claim against the parents of your child’s friend for negligence.
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Ride from Grandparents
In a neighborhood or senior community, golf carts may be available to anyone to travel around the community. If a grandparent giving a child a ride does not have much experience operating the cart, though, he or she could make an error that causes a crash, leaving the child ejected from the cart.
Riding on a Rear Facing Seat
In a cart made to hold more than two people, the cart may have a rear facing seat in the back. Children often will want to ride here. However, this seat typically has no seat belts or any protective framing.
If the driver hits a bump or must swerve to miss a hazard on the road, kids easily can fly off the seat and land on the pavement at the back of the golf cart.
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Our Golf Cart Accident Attorneys Are Ready to Help You
Although golf cart accidents may occur at a golf course, most cart crashes will occur on roads in neighborhoods and cities in the state of Florida. To safely use a golf cart off the course, operators must follow Florida Statute §316.212, which does not allow carts on the majority of roads in the state highway system, other than in limited, specific circumstances.
In Kissimmee and Osceola County, those who want to operate a golf cart on a public roadway or sidewalk must make a request to the local transportation and transit board to have a certain road designated as legal for use of golf carts.
If you believe the driver who caused your golf cart injury was behaving in a negligent manner, you can retain a Kissimmee golf cart accident lawyer to represent your interests. Contact Bogin, Munns & Munns for a free consultation on your case.
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