Injured in a Golf Cart in Florida?
Golf carts are popular on golf courses because they make it easier for golfers to quickly travel long stretches on the green from hole to hole. However, they’ve also become common in certain residential neighborhoods, with everyone from children as young as 8 or 9 to spritely senior citizens operating the carts. Golf carts are also fairly common in airports, mobile home communities, amusement parks, and sporting events. The increased presence of golf carts on Florida roadways has caused a spike in dangerous collisions with pedestrians and cars, along with injuries due to golf carts tipping and rolling over.
According to the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, over 63,000 reported golf cart injuries in the U.S. between 2010 and 2019. The annual figure has steadily risen during that period, from around 5,500 in 2010 to over 6,500 in 2019. Over 40 percent of the reported injuries were head-and-neck injuries. Read on to learn more about golf cart injuries in Florida and how you may be able to seek compensation for your golf cart-related injuries.
Golf Cart Rules In Florida
Florida laws on golf cart operation are spelled out in F.S. 316.212. In Florida, golf carts are allowed to be operated on certain municipal streets, public county roads, and state highways- but only after local government leaders evaluate whether golf carts are able to travel safely and cross the specific thoroughfares. Proper signage is also required. You don’t need a license to operate a golf cart- just be over the age of 14. Unlike a car, golf carts don’t need to be licensed or insured. However, if a golf cart can be driven on the road, the operator still needs to obey all traffic laws- including prohibitions on actions like failure to yield, careless driving, improper turning, running a stop sign, and driving under the influence. If the operator’s actions cause injury to another, these actions could be used as evidence of negligence against the operator.
What To Do If You Were Injured In A Golf Cart Accident
If you were injured in a Florida golf cart accident, there are a few different avenues of recourse for you to consider. The liability will depend on proving the company, person, or property owner you are taking action against were negligent in some way. Establishing negligence means proving that the defendant had a responsibility to not act recklessly and minimize harm, but they failed in that responsibility, and that failure directly resulted in your injuries. Examples of potential liability in golf cart injuries include:
- The owner of a golf cart who let it be operated by another person who they knew or should have known was not a trustworthy or safe driver
- The operator of a golf cart drove careless and caused injury
- The manufacturer or distributor of a golf cart that was defective in design or make
- The careless driver of another motor vehicle struck the golf cart
- The property owner if they knew about and failed to properly address an on-site hazard, resulting in or contributing to the injuries
Contact Us Today
If you were injured in a Florida golf cart accident, call BCN Law Firm to consult with an experienced golf cart injury attorney today.
