Here in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, we have a number of prestigious golf courses including the Colonial Country Club, the Tenison Park Golf Club and the Bear Creek Golf Club, to name but a few. In many DFW suburbs, there are even more courses and in certain residential neighborhoods it is not uncommon to see people riding on golf carts in the street. Just because golf carts don't travel very fast, however, does not mean that you are safe riding in one. If you or a loved one has been injured in a golf cart accident, you should contact a Board Certified personal injury attorney as soon as possible to make sure you are fully aware of your legal rights and responsibilities.
Each year in the United States, there are approximately 15,000 golf cart accidents which result in injuries serious enough that they require Emergency Room treatment, according to data collected by the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC). While a golf cart driven on a city road is of course at risk of being involved in a wreck with a car, truck or motorcycle, serious injuries can also result from golf cart accidents even on the golf course where no other vehicle is involved.
The CPSC estimates that 40 percent of golf cart injuries are the result of someone being ejected from the cart while it is in motion. One of the most common ways a passenger might fall out of a moving golf cart is if the cart is if the driver makes a sudden left turn while travelling at or close to the cart's maximum speed capability. The reason for this is that the passenger will be thrown to the right and out of the cart. Even if there is a handhold on the edge of the rider's, studies have shown the passenger will still be thrown from the vehicle. The driver is not at risk because of the very nature of the centrifugal force and the fact that they have a steering wheel to grip on to, providing them with additional security. A further 10 percent of golf cart accidents involve a rollover.
Children are the passengers most at risk from suffering a serious injury in a golf cart accident, and the CPSC found that nearly 40 percent of all accidents involved a child aged 16 or younger. Since golf carts do not typically come equipped with seat belts, there is a very real danger for injury to occur - particularly if the golf cart is being driven through a busy neighborhood.
If you or a loved one has been hospitalized following a golf cart accident, you may be entitled to compensation for cover your medical costs and other expenses related to the crash. For more information and to discuss your case in detail with an experienced trial lawyer, please call the Anderson Law Firm today for a free, no obligation consultation. Call us toll free from anywhere at 800-354-6275 or locally in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or in Dallas at 214-327-8000.
