OCALA GOLF CART INJURY ATTORNEYS
Golf Cart Injury Attorneys Alavi & Pozzuto can help you fight for the compensation you need to pay for medical bills, lost income, and other damages you have suffered due to your injuries. An injury from a golf cart accident can result in broken bones, soft tissue damage, and many other life-changing injuries. We will help you get back on your feet.
Contact our Personal Injury Team for immediate, hands-on help with your Golf Cart Accident case. Call (352) 732-9191 to schedule a free initial consultation or use this form to tell us about your case.
RECENT FLORIDA COURT CASE REQUIRES INSURANCE COMPANY TO COVER VICTIM OF GOLF CART ACCIDENT
Recently, Florida’s Second District Court of Appeals issued an opinion in a Florida personal injury case involving a pedestrian who was struck by a golf cart and sustained serious injuries. Unfortunately, the operator of the golf cart did not have sufficient insurance coverage to fully compensate the victim. The victim was forced to file a claim with her own insurance company, under the underinsured motorist provision. The Court determined the accident victim’s policy did indeed cover the accident, and required the insurance company to approve the plaintiff’s claim.
GOLF CARTS ARE INCREASINGLY COMMON
Golf carts are not just for golf courses anymore. Many folks in Florida are choosing golf carts as an easy way to get around their neighborhoods or just another form of daily transportation. Florida tourists are also increasingly seeing the sites while cruising on a golf cart.
GOLF CARTS CAN BE STREET LEGAL
Under Florida law, operation of a golf cart on the state’s public roads or streets is legal where a county or municipality has designated the road(s) for use by golf carts. However, Florida law restricts golf carts to roads with speed limits 35 mph or less. Florida law also requires that golf carts must be equipped with efficient brakes, a reliable steering apparatus, safe tires, a rearview mirror and red reflectors in the front and back to be operated between sunrise and sunset.
Specifically, Florida Statute 316.212 and Section 2126, Florida Statutes, allow municipalities and counties to require that golf carts have additional safety accessories if they are to be operated on that municipality’s or county’s roads.
GOLF CART IS A “DANGEROUS INSTRUMENTALITY” LIKE A CAR
The Florida Supreme Court has held that a golf cart is a dangerous instrumentality. This means that golf carts fit the legal definition of a “motor vehicle: they are regulated by statute, and there is significant evidence regarding the the causes and consequences of golf cart accidents. Specifically, the Court determined, “the types of accidents caused by the operation of the carts are due to the particular design features of the carts and are identical to those involving other motor vehicle accidents.”
Florida law is such that owners of golf carts face virtually unlimited vicarious liability for injuries caused by permissive users of golf carts. This means both the owner and the driver may be held liable.
An unexpected accident can not only result in painful injuries but also lead to numerous doctors’ visits and even days off from work. If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident that was not your fault, you may be entitled to compensation for your harm. Accident Attorneys Tania Alavi and Andrew Pozzuto understand the nuances of Florida personal injury law and can apply this knowledge to your case. We are here to answer your questions and address your concerns.
If you were injured in a golf cart accident, Personal Injury Attorneys Alavi & Pozzuto are here to answer your questions, ease your burden, and walk you through the difficult world of massive insurance companies, settlement negotiations and, if necessary, litigation. Call (352) 732-9191 to schedule a free initial consultation or use this form to tell us about your case.