Golf Cart Accidents In South Carolina
In 49 out of 50 states, people associate golf carts with harmless fun. People who are seeking danger drive motorcycles, sports cars, or all terrain vehicles, but golf carts are a vehicle for enjoying life’s simple pleasures. Old men ride golf carts from one area of the golf course to another, and teens too young for a driver’s license feel the wind in their hair as they cruise down residential streets of resort towns at much lower speeds than a bona fide automobile would take them. In South Carolina, though, the image of golf carts is inextricably linked to the tragic death of Samantha Miller, who died when a drunk driver struck the festively decorated golf cart that Miller and several members of her wedding party were riding immediately after leaving her wedding reception. The danger of drunk driving is that people who drive under the influence of alcohol can strike any object or vehicle; it is just a matter of chance that this one struck a golf cart that was on wedding reception duty. Miller’s husband sued the bars where the at fault driver consumed alcohol before the accident, citing dram shop liability. Most golf cart accidents are more mundane and less devastating, but they can still leave you with costly medical bills. If you have been injured in an accident involving a golf cart, contact a Columbia personal injury lawyer.
What Can Go Wrong in a Golf Cart?
Collisions between a golf cart and another motor vehicle are only the worst-case scenario. Most of the time, golf carts operate in areas that are closed to vehicular traffic. These are some other types of golf cart-related accidents that are more common than accidents where a car strikes a golf cart:
- A person falling from a golf cart
- A golf cart striking a pedestrian
- A golf cart striking a stationary object
- A golf cart tipping over
- People getting injured while getting into or out of golf carts
- Injuries to people’s arms and legs which were protruding from the golf cart (the “keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times” rule is not just for amusement park rides
Who Is Responsible for Injuries Sustained in a Golf Cart Accident?
If you get injured in a golf cart accident, you have the right to seek compensation for your accident-related financial losses, including but not limited to medical bills, from the party responsible for the accident. South Carolina requires the owners of golf carts that operate on public roads to carry liability insurance, so you might be able to file an insurance claim with the golf cart owner’s insurance policy. If the golf cart accident happened at a place of business such as a country club or summer camp, then premises liability laws may apply.
Let Us Help You Today
The personal injury lawyers at the Stanley Law Group can help you if you got injured in a golf cart accident. Contact The Stanley Law Group in Columbia, South Carolina or call (803)799-4700 for a free initial consultation.
Source:
forbes.com/advisor/car-insurance/golf-cart-insurance/
