Golf Cart Accidents Can Result in Serious Injury

Small towns all across America have seen an influx in golf carts on the roadways. Golf carts are especially common in areas like retirement communities, golf course communities, sports facilities, and farms.

With a top speed of 15 miles per hour, you may not typically think of golf carts being involved in accidents. However, golf cart wrecks can lead to serious injuries that have lifelong consequences for victims and their families or even result in the death of golf cart drivers, passengers, pedestrians, or the occupants of other vehicles on the roadway.

If you are a victim of a golf cart crash, get an experienced golf cart accident attorney on your side to help you determine whether you have a strong personal injury case, calculate your economic and non-economic damages, and act as your advocate during negotiations and, if necessary, in the courtroom.

Golf Cart Accident Statistics

In a study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, researchers analyzed golf cart injuries over a sixteen-year period in the United States. Here are the highlights:

• Almost 150,000 people were treated in emergency rooms for injuries related to golf cart accidents
• 70.3% of accidents occurred at sports facilities
• 15.2% of accidents occurred on streets or public property
• 14.5% of accidents occurred on private property, including homes and farms

Additionally, according to the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), there are approximately 15,000 golf cart related injuries requiring emergency room treatment in the United States each year.

Common Golf Cart Wreck Injuries

There are a wide variety of possible injuries from a golf cart accident, but the most common injuries are as follows:

• Soft tissue damage
• Road rash
• Broken bones and fractures
• Face and neck injuries, such as whiplash
• Scrapes and cuts
• Wrist and hand injuries
• Concussions or traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)

Some of these injuries are mild and easily treated, but others can be severe and have long-lasting consequences, both physical and financial.

Causes of Golf Cart Accidents

Many scenarios could result in a golf cart injury:

• Driving in unsafe weather conditions
• Falling out of a golf cart
• Driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Hanging limbs outside of the cart
• Making turns that are too sharp
• Failing or malfunctioning equipment
• Overcrowding the golf cart
• Driving while distracted
• Neglecting to properly lock the brakes before exiting the cart

Although some of these causes fall under the category of human error, others relate to the design of golf carts or to other factors outside of a driver’s control.

Golf Cart Safety Regulations

Not all that long ago, golf carts were simply that: carts used for playing golf. Now, though, golf carts have become the new town cruiser, and many states don’t have laws or restrictions governing their use.

Golf carts weren’t designed with seat belts because they were intended to be used on the golf course, where players need to easily enter and exit the cart several times during the course of a golf outing. The open sides of golf carts are a danger, too, making it easy for occupants to be more easily thrown from the vehicle.

When people took the carts off of the course and onto the roadways, the need for safety restraints became evident. Golf cart safety standards require accessible handholds and restraints that prevent the passengers from falling out of the vehicle. Unfortunately, these bars don’t provide enough restraint during a rollover and wouldn’t eliminate the possibility of being ejected during certain situations.

Drive Safely

If you own and operate a golf cart, use caution on the roadways and be responsible when behind the wheel. When the cart is stopped, make sure the brake is in the locked position. If kids are operating the cart, make sure they’re aware of the dangers.

Contact an Indianapolis Golf Cart Collision Attorney Today

If you or a loved one have been injured in a golf cart accident, you are urged to contact the attorneys of Wilson Kehoe Winingham. An Indianapolis car accident lawyer from WKW can help you get the compensation you deserve. Call 317.920.6400 or fill out an online contact form for a free, no-obligation case evaluation.

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