Michigan Golf Cart Accident Lawyers | Electric Cart Injury Accidents

Injuries in Michigan resulting from golf cart accidents are not a new phenomenon. Although they receive far fewer media scrutiny compared to motor vehicle crashes, these collisions could lead to devastating injuries nonetheless.

The scope of these injuries has been well documented for years. In 2017, Michigan saw 46 golf cart accidents, six of which were fatal.

Other research identifies the potential for severe injury while using a golf cart.

In 2017, the American Academy of Pediatrics released 11 years’ worth of research showing the devastating and potentially fatal nature of these injuries. Another 2015 study conducted by researchers at the University of New Mexico found golf carts to be the third-leading cause of injury on golf courses nationwide.

If you have sustained an injury in a golf cart, you may be unaware of your legal options. However, if your injuries arose due to another person’s negligence, you should contact a top-rated Michigan golf cart injury lawyer for assistance. A skilled attorney could review your case and work to pursue a claim on your behalf.

Common types of golf cart injuries
Can I sue for being hit by a golf cart?
How much are golf cart accident settlements?

Types of Michigan Golf Cart Accidents

Many people use golf carts for various purposes. While there is no question these vehicles are popular on golf courses, it is also common to see golf courts on nearby roadways and in other settings.

In any instance, another person’s negligence could lead to an accident resulting in serious injuries.

Accidents on Golf Courses

Injuries are common on golf courses when carts are involved in a crash or wreck. These vehicles are typically open-air and offer very little in the way of padding or protection, especially on the hills and turns of a course.

While most golf courses do not experience the congestion of a roadway, collisions may still occur for drivers that are distracted or intoxicated. Single-cart accidents can also happen when a driver is careless, or if a cart is defective.

Rollover accidents are also a common threat on a golf course. According to a study in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, one out of every 10 golf car injuries is related to a vehicle rollover. That pales in comparison to injuries sustained while falling out of the vehicle, which makes up 40 percent of golf cart injuries.

Cart Accidents on Roadways

The risks for a golf cart on a public street are also notable. While golf carts are not designed for street use, they are a common sight in neighborhoods surrounding golf courses.

Driving a cart on a public roadway is especially dangerous when motor vehicle traffic is present. Cars and trucks are much larger than golf carts and typically travel at higher speeds, which means crashes can be devastating.

In addition to collisions with motor vehicles, traveling to and from a golf course could be hazardous. While cart paths are carefully designed to accommodate these carts, the areas surrounding the course could be hazardous.

Not only are golf cart occupants at risk from the impact of a collision, but they also face the potential to be thrown from the vehicle.

Some of the most common injuries in these accidents include broken bones, concussions, joint injuries, or deep lacerations.

With any injury, a person involved in a golf cart accident could work with a Michigan attorney to pursue compensation for their losses.

Accidents in Other Locations

Golf carts are not just used on the course or in neighborhoods. Electric carts are also used in factories, plants, airports, stadiums, hospitals, amusement parks, big box stores, and other places.

Accidents occur when workers are careless and strike a pedestrian or other unsuspecting person. The Buckfire Law Firm has settled several serious golf car accident cases in these settings.

We recently won a large settlement for a worker in a plant after a golf cart backed into him in a pedestrian walkway. He suffered a serious neck injury that required surgery and caused permanent disability. The case was filed against an employee of a different company working in the same factory.

Our client received both his worker’s compensation benefits and a separate pain and suffering settlement.

In another recent case, we won a settlement for a husband and wife who were both struck by an electric cart in a Detroit area convention center. The wife suffered a serious back injury and her husband had injuries to his leg. The cart was driven by an employee of the convention center who was negligent and backed into them in a public area.

Common Types of Golf Cart Injuries

Golf car accidents result in serious and often permanent injuries.

Carts do not have the same protections as regular vehicles and passengers are very vulnerable, especially to strikes by automobiles or in rollover accidents. Common injuries include:

Closed head injuries and traumatic brain injuries;
Bone fractures, especially in the legs and arms;
Spinal injuries, like herniated discs and bulging discs;
Shoulder damage, like rotator cuff tears;
Knee injuries, like torn ligaments for patella fractures;
Permanent scars and disfigurements;
Death, from fatal crashes and rollovers.

Injury Risks for Children in Electric Carts

Many golf cart accident victims are children. According to the American Journal of Preventative Medicine study, one-third of all golf cart accident victims are children.

A different study from Vanderbilt University reports children are at the greatest risk for injury in golf cart accidents. Of the children studied, half of the injuries were either moderate or severe.

Because so many of these injuries relate to a child falling from a moving golf cart, they commonly suffer broken bones, hyper-extended elbows, neck injuries, and brain injuries. In severe cases, these injuries could be fatal.

The cost of treating child injuries can be significant, with the study estimating the cost for half of the children studied was at least $20,500.

Due to this increased risk for injury in a golf cart accident, the family of an injured child could seek compensation for medical bills and other losses with the help of a Michigan lawyer.

Can I Sue for Being Hit by a Golf Cart?

You can file a golf cart accident lawsuit if you were injured by another person’s negligent driving of the vehicle. This includes golfers or anyone else operating the cart in any setting.

Although they are not classified as automobiles, drivers of carts must abide by similar principles of proper care and caution as cars and trucks.

How Much are Golf Cart Accident Lawsuit Settlements?

The amount of a settlement is different in every case. There is no average or typical settlement because the facts are never the same.

In general, your settlement will be determined by the severity of your injuries, the type of medical treatment, and any disabilities caused by the crash.

You are entitled to compensation for your physical pain and suffering, mental and emotional anguish, medical bills, lost wages, and other claims.

Our lawyers will fully evaluate your case and work to win you the maximum possible settlement.