Golf Course And Mini Golf Accidents
Some retirees aspire to spend as much time on the golf course as possible, and in many parts of South Carolina, the weather is appropriate for golf year-round. For families with kids who do not have the attention span to follow a ball across 18 holes on a golf course, miniature golf is a fun family activity. Golf has a reputation, only somewhat deserved, for being a boring sport that no one plays unless they are too old and not athletic enough for more exciting sports like football and basketball. From a legal perspective, accidental injuries on golf courses are similar to accidental injuries that occur at other places of business, including other recreational facilities where participants pay admission. A Columbia premises liability lawyer can help you if you got injured on a golf course or while playing mini golf.
What Kinds of Accidents Can Occur on Golf Courses and at Mini Golf Facilities?
Premises liability laws require business owners, including the owners of mini golf facilities and driving ranges and the country clubs that maintain golf courses to keep the premises in safe condition in order to prevent injury to customers. If a business invitee gets injured in a preventable accident at a place of business, he or she has the right to sue the business owner for failing to keep the premises in safe condition. These are some accidents that can cause injury at businesses where people play golf:
- People can get injured in accidental falls when uneven terrain is not clearly marked.
- Alligators in ponds on the golf course can bite guests.
- Structures at miniature golf holes can collapse and cause injury.
- Customers can trip over raised boundaries around mini golf holes if these are not clearly marked.
- Ball dispensing machines can injure customers’ hands.
Can You Sue If You Get Injured Playing Bocce in the Park?
People can trip and fall anywhere, but most of the time, they don’t sue, and if they did, the court would not accept their lawsuit. South Carolina’s Recreational Use Statute clearly states that premises liability protections apply only to business invitees, in other words, paying customers. If people frequently use a place for recreation and do not pay admission, even if it is not technically a public park, then premises liability laws do not apply. You can set up an impromptu mini golf course, or any other type of game, on land where people are free to engage in recreation, and if you get injured, you do not have grounds to sue for premises liability. If a certain person was responsible for causing your injuries, then you might have a personal injury claim against that person.
Let Us Help You Today
The personal injury lawyers at the Stanley Law Group can help you recover damages if you were injured in a preventable accident while golfing or playing miniature golf. Contact The Stanley Law Group in Columbia, South Carolina or call (803)799-4700 for a free initial consultation.
Source:
collegeofgolf.keiseruniversity.edu/common-golf-course-accidents/