GOLF CART ACCIDENT ATTORNEY IN MELBOURNE

During the free case evaluation that you schedule with one of the golf cart accident lawyers in Melbourne from Morgan and Morgan, one of the first items on the agenda is for your attorney to determine the cause of the collision. Determining the cause of a personal injury incident is the first step required for proving negligence.

With more than 35 years of experience, our team of personal injury attorneys has come up with a list of the four most common factors that cause golf cart accidents.

Operating Under the Influence

Whether it is playing 18 holes or navigating neighborhood streets, operating a golf cart while under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol dramatically increases the risk of getting involved in a crash. Drugs and alcohol impair judgment, which translates into the operator of a golf cart making unnecessary maneuvers such as riding over unfriendly terrain or running through stop signs. Using drugs and alcohol while operating a golf cart also slows down reaction times.

Reckless Driving

Many golf courses present golfers with challenges such as undulating terrain. Golf carts, especially those operating at higher than recommended speeds, can tip over when moving too fast on the side of hills. Reckless driving on a neighborhood street can include passing slow-moving vehicles and operating a golf cart outside of the proper lane. Some of the injuries that result from a golf cart accident caused by reckless driving include whiplash and a concussion.

Defective Golf Cart

If you sustained one or more injuries because of a defective golf cart, you might have a strong enough case to file a product liability lawsuit. Your attorney determines whether a defect in the design or the construction of a golf cart led to an accident that caused you harm. The types of defects that can diminish the safety of golf carts include faulty brakes and inferior steering.

Negligence of Another Party

Because golf carts are allowed on some neighborhood streets, another party operating a motor vehicle can cause an accident that produces serious injuries. Drivers of motor vehicles must follow traffic laws established by state and local governments, such as speed limits and no passing signs. If another party caused a golf cart accident that forced you to seek immediate medical care, contact one of the golf cart accident lawyers in Melbourne from Morgan and Morgan to discuss your case.

If you sustained one or more injuries as a result of a golf cart accident, you should follow a series of steps to build a strong enough case to file a civil lawsuit that seeks monetary damages. 

Contact Law Enforcement and Golf Course Management

If you are involved in a golf cart accident that happened on a neighborhood street in Melbourne, contacting the Melbourne Police Department should be the first item on your to-do list. The responding officer completes an incident report that your attorney refers to when conducting an investigation into your case. On the other hand, if the golf cart accident unfolded on a local golf course, contacting course management sets in motion the other steps required when responding to a golf car collision.

Get Medical Care

Because of the lack of protection provided by safety features, victims of golf cart accidents often sustain serious injuries. The impact of a crash can send both the driver and passenger of a golf cart several feet outside of a golf cart. Injuries such as fractures, severe head trauma, and spinal cord damage require immediate medical care. Even if you feel healthy enough to remain at the scene of a golf cart accident, you eventually should undergo diagnostic tests to detect any possible injuries.

Gather Evidence

Taking photographs after a golf cart accident can help your personal injury attorney determine fault. The tire tracks left on the sod of a golf course offer insight into which party committed an operating error. Traffic camera footage captured from a neighborhood location can reveal whether one or more parties should assume legal liability for causing the golf cart accident. Evidence also includes photos of your injuries, as well as copies of medical bills and records.

Speak with Witnesses

You do not want to interview witnesses after a golf cart collision. Instead, collect the names and contact information of every witness to hand over to one of the golf cart accident lawyers in Melbourne from Morgan and Morgan. Witness accounts provide legal support for the physical evidence gathered at the scene of a golf cart crash.

Contact a Morgan and Morgan Personal Injury Attorney

Before you contact your insurance company or the insurance company of another party, schedule a free case evaluation with one of the golf cart accident lawyers in Melbourne from Morgan and Morgan. Far too many insurance companies like to take advantage of policyholders that file claims without the legal support of a personal injury lawyer. Working with a personal injury attorney ensures you receive a fair offer for compensation.

Florida follows the comparative fault doctrine when assigning blame for causing a personal injury incident. Comparative fault means two or more parties must share legal liability. For example, if a motor vehicle struck your golf cart because of a failure to signal and you did not notice the other vehicle because you focused on an incoming text message, both parties might assume responsibility for causing a golf cart accident. If the judge hearing your case declares you should assume 40 percent of legal liability because of the texting distraction, an award of $25,000 becomes an award of $15,000 because of your 40 percent legal liability for causing the collision.

As with other types of personal injury cases, you have a limited amount of time to take legal action after a golf cart accident. Each state has set a deadline for plaintiffs to file a civil lawsuit that seeks monetary damages. Most states have established a statute of limitations between two and four years, while a few states extend the deadline as long as six years and reduce the amount of time to take legal action to one year. Florida provides plaintiffs with four years to file a civil lawsuit that seeks monetary damages except for cases involving elder abuse. The clock starts ticking on a golf car accident lawsuit on the day of the collision.

Just because you have four years to file a civil lawsuit that seeks monetary damages does not mean you should procrastinate when building a personal injury case. The golf cart accident lawyers in Melbourne from Morgan and Morgan recommend acting with a sense of urgency when filing a personal injury lawsuit. You have to remember that you are responsible for paying every bill until you receive compensation in the form of an approved insurance claim and/or a favorable legal judgment issued by a civil court judge. Another reason to act with a sense of urgency involves getting statements from witnesses. Witness accounts tend to be much more reliable the closer they are given to the date of a personal injury incident.

If you do not meet the deadline for filing a personal injury lawsuit in Florida, the court clerk processing your case has the legal power to remove your case from the judicial docket.

The primary goal of the golf cart accident lawyers in Melbourne from Morgan and 
Morgan is to get clients the compensation that they deserve. You have the opportunity to recover three types of monetary damages.

Economic damages cover the costs associated with diagnostic tests, treatment programs, and physical therapy sessions. You also should seek compensation for prescription medications and the use of an assistive device. Another party found negligent for causing a golf cart accident might have to pay for the repairs done to your golf cart, as well as to other objects like jewelry and electronic devices.

Getting involved in a golf cart accident can trigger emotional distress issues, which non-economic damages cover. Punitive damages penalize the defendant for committing one or more acts of negligence.

Learn more about the type of compensation that you might qualify for by scheduling a free case evaluation with one of the golf cart accident lawyers in Melbourne from Morgan and Morgan.