Do I Need a Golf Cart Accident Lawyer in St. Augustine?

Golf carts are smaller and slower than traditional vehicles, which means sometimes people may forget that these can actually cause serious injuries. These accidents are not only serious, but also common. Research shows that around 15,000 people suffer in golf cart accidents every year. 

Senior citizens and children have the highest risks of golf cart accidents because they statistically make up over half of all golf cart crashes. Common causes of golf cart accidents are numerous, and one of the most important things to remember is that these incidents can be prevented in most cases. It is the responsibility of the company or golf course maintaining the golf cart to ensure that minimal accident risk exists. But if an accident does occur and it can be traced back to a liable party, such as the manufacturer of a defective part or the owner of the cart itself, this information may be used to speak with a golf cart accident lawyer in St. Augustine. 

Many causes of golf cart accidents are due to the person operating the vehicle. This does not mean that someone else is not also liable for the injuries sustained. In fact, this may be an important element to discuss with your golf cart accident lawyer in St. Augustin, since in order to recover compensation for golf cart accident injuries, you would need to illustrate negligence on the part of someone else. 

One of the most common causes of golf cart accidents is an overloaded cart. The maximum for the majority of 2-seater golf carts is around 450 lbs. The brakes and engine can become overworked if extra passengers try to ride or if the golf cart is overloaded with equipment. This can also increase the chances of passengers being thrown from the cart during a sharp turn. 

Sharp turns are the second most common cause of golf cart accidents. An accelerated U-turn, reckless driving or driving under the influence of alcohol can increase your chances of taking a turn too sharply. People familiar with other types of vehicles may assume they are handling a vehicle of the same size and turning ability, but golf carts are different. 

One of the other reasons this presents serious accident risks is because the majority of golf carts have no seatbelts, which means a passenger can easily be thrown from the vehicle into a stationary object or get stuck under the golf cart itself. 

DUIs make up a high number of golf cart accidents because many people assume that driving a golf cart under the influence is not as dangerous as driving a traditional vehicle. Although pedestrians who are hit by golf carts are more likely to survive the accident, golf cart drivers are much more likely to suffer fatal or severe injuries due to driving under the influence. 

The final most common cause of golf cart accident injuries is distracted driving. When people are on their phones or not paying attention to what is ahead of them, the possibility of an accident increases dramatically.

As is mentioned above, not every golf cart accident leads to filing a negligence lawsuit. However, there are some cases where an accident risk could've been known by the manufacturer of the product or by the owner and maintainer of the product. One common example of a situation involving negligence is when you are a pedestrian who is hit by a golf cart or you are operating another golf cart and are seriously injured when someone else runs into you. These are significant circumstances that should be shared directly with your golf cart accident lawyer in St. Augustine. If you can show that another party is responsible for the accident itself, such as illustrating that the owner of the cart failed to undertake regular maintenance or did not provide appropriate safety training to anyone operating the cart, this information could be used to file a lawsuit. 

Since not every case applies for a lawsuit, it's important to have the support of an experienced and dedicated lawyer to guide you through the process and help you to understand many of the most important impacts involved. A thorough investigation of the golf cart accident might be needed in order to determine negligent parties. Bear in mind that when working with a golf cart accident lawyer in St. Augustine, the statute of limitations applies. Each state has a statue of limitations or personal injury and this is simply the time limit you have after an accident to file a legal claim against the responsible party. Florida's statute of limitations for personal injury cases gives you a maximum of 4 years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit.

When filing a golf cart accident lawsuit with the help of an attorney, you need to show that the person you are blaming for your injuries was indeed negligent. You need to illustrate that this other person owed you a reasonable duty of care and failed to provide it. You would need to show that the at fault driver of another vehicle or golf cart was responsible for driving in a safe manner and what they did is not in line with driving in a safe manner. You will also need to show that you have suffered injuries and that the injuries were a direct result of another person's negligence. 

If you realize that you have grounds for a negligence lawsuit filed by a golf cart accident lawyer in St. Augustine, your first step is to gather all of your necessary evidence. You will present this evidence to your personal injury lawyer and if you are able to prove your claim you could be entitled to damages. Damages will depend on your individual injuries and how the accident happened but can include lost wages, damages done to the golf cart or car in question and medical bills. You will need to discuss the specifics with your attorney to walk through the process of getting necessary support and guiding you forward. 

There are so many different things to think about in the wake of filing a golf cart accident lawsuit that it is very important to make sure that you have legal representation on your side to help explain to you how the process works and some of the common pitfalls that affect people with golf cart accidents.

If you can show that the manufacturer of the golf cart or any part on the golf cart was defective and that the manufacturer should have or did know about this situation, you may need to share these details with your lawyer. You may have a case against multiple parties or just those responsible for the defects on the cart. Make sure that you walk through these scenarios by retaining an attorney who has familiarity with golf cart accidents.

Once you’ve submitted all your paperwork to insurance, most victims wait to hear back and continue to attend their medical appointments. Most of them expect that their claims and all associated treatments will be covered. But if your claim does get denied by insurance, you need to have a plan for fighting back to get those important damage payments. One of the best ways to do this is to turn the insurance management aspect of your lawsuit over to a dedicated golf cart accident lawyer in St. Augustine so that you no longer have to communicate directly with your insurance company.