Teen Dies in Florida Golf Cart Accident
A South Florida teenager recently died as a result of serious injuries she suffered when a golf cart she was riding in with a number of her friends overturned in Davie in southern Broward County. Golf cart accidents are a particular problem in the Sunshine State, which has more golf courses than any other state in the country. Florida also has some of the highest rates of golf cart use in the country for transportation purposes by teenagers and young adults who may not yet have their driver’s license. As happened in this incident, golf cart riders in these age groups are particularly likely to pack more people onto a golf cart than can safely ride on these vehicles, which can result in tragic accidents like the teen’s death in Davie.
The Davie Accident
The 17-year-old from Davie was riding in a golf cart driven by one of her friends when the cart flipped over shortly after being driven over an overpass over I-75. According to a news report from Local 10 regarding the incident, the golf cart she was riding in flipped over and the teen suffered serious injuries, including a brain injury, when she hit her head after being ejected from the golf cart. She was airlifted to a nearby hospital for treatment but succumbed to her injuries and passed away five days later. No other vehicles were involved in the incident.
Davie and nearby Southwest Ranches are known for the many golf carts commonly used by children and young adults that live in these communities in order to get around. However, area residents interviewed by the media told reporters that many of the young adults that utilize the golf carts often have 7-8 teenagers riding on the cart at once. One area resident told a Local 10 reporter that he knew of one teenage victim who needed a metal plate inserted into his head after the golf cart the teenager was riding in with a number of his friends flipped over.
Florida Golf Cart Accidents
Although golf carts are a convenient means of transportation for many in the Sunshine State, particularly those of advanced years or those who may not have a driver’s license yet, they can be very dangerous if operated unsafely or proper precautions are not taken by those behind the wheels of these vehicles. Golf carts are used throughout the state of Florida in and around golf courses as well as on surface streets as a means of getting around. Golf carts can be used by many different ages of drivers, even those who may be too young to drive a regular motor vehicle. However, if the golf carts are operated at unsafe speeds, with too many passengers on the golf cart or in areas with heavy motor vehicle traffic, they can easily be involved in accidents in which someone may be injured or killed.
Laws Regulating the Golf Cart Use in Florida
Florida law allows any person over the age of 14 to drive a golf cart without having to pass a driving test or even needing to have a valid driver’s license. In addition, no approved safety features are mandated on golf carts in Florida, and seat belts are only required if a person is driving over 20 miles per hour while using a golf cart. This can make it particularly dangerous if a group of teenagers are all riding on a golf cart, and it is going too fast or the occupants are not restrained.
Contact Schwed Adams & McGinley if You Have Been Injured in a Florida Golf Cart Accident
At Schwed Adams & McGinley, our experienced personal injury attorneys have decades of legal experience representing those injured in a wide variety of scenarios, including in Florida golf cart accidents. Although golf carts can be a convenient means of transportation for those who may otherwise not be able to drive cars or other motor vehicles, accidents involving golf carts can and do occur with regularity, particularly in the Sunshine State. If you have been the victim of a Florida golf cart accident, you may be entitled to substantial damages if you were injured as a result of someone else’s negligence. Therefore if you have been injured in a Florida golf cart accident, contact our experienced personal injury attorneys today at contact@schwedlaw.com or (877) 694-6079 today.