Under Florida law, golf carts are motor vehicles. While it might not seem like it, Florida law imposes many regulations on the use of golf carts in communities and roads. And while these regulations try to make golf carts safer, golf cart accidents still happen in Jacksonville, FL.
A crash can result in severe injuries to the cart’s occupants as well as other road users involved in the collision. A golf cart accident can even cause permanent disabilities or death.
Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers can help you get compensation if you were injured in a Jacksonville golf cart accident. Contact us today at (904) 396-1100 to schedule a free consultation, where we can review your case and offer legal help.
How Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help You Recover Damages After a Golf Cart Accident in Jacksonville, FL
Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers has been representing accident victims in the Jacksonville, Florida, area for over 11 years. Our firm’s personal injury attorneys have nearly 70 years of combined legal experience helping injured clients fight for fair compensation.
When you get injured, our Jacksonville golf cart accident lawyers help by providing the following:
- A free consultation to assess your case and explain your legal options
- A track record of successfully recovering tens of millions of dollars for accident victims like you
- Immediate personal attention to your case so you can get the compensation to which you are entitled under Florida law
- Comprehensive legal representation at every stage of your case
A golf cart accident can leave you with serious injuries and permanent disabilities. Contact Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation to discuss your accident and the financial compensation you can seek for your injuries.
How Many Golf Cart Accidents Occur in Florida?
Under Florida law, a golf cart is a motor vehicle that meets all of the following criteria:
- It is not human-powered
- It was designed for operation on a golf course for recreational purposes instead of maintenance
- It cannot travel faster than 20 miles per hour
Notably, this definition does not require golf carts to use an electric motor. This definition covers both electric and gas-powered golf carts. Also, the definition only speaks to the purpose of the cart. It does not speak to how the manufacturer markets it or how the owner uses it.
But the most important criterion comes from the speed limit. Golf cart manufacturers install speed limiters specifically so their vehicles will fall under the legal definition of “golf cart.”
Owners modify their carts by removing the speed limiters. Carts that go between 20 and 25 miles per hour are not golf carts. Instead, they fall under Florida’s definition of a low-speed vehicle (LSV).
Florida tracks the crash numbers for LSVs. In its most recent crash facts report, Florida reported that 652 people were involved in LSV crashes in 2021. These crashes involving modified carts killed four people and injured 284.
The state does not track the number of accidents involving unmodified golf carts. But you can infer some numbers from a study conducted in Florida’s The Villages.
A multi-year study found that the retirement community averaged 136 golf cart accidents per year. These crashes resulted in 65 hospitalizations and nine fatal or incapacitating injuries each year.
Steps To Take After a Jacksonville Golf Cart Accident
Florida uses no-fault insurance. If you own a LSV or passenger vehicle, you must buy personal injury protection (PIP) coverage. This insurance pays part of your medical treatment and lost income if you get injured in a traffic crash, even as a passenger, pedestrian, or cyclist.
Florida also requires LSV and passenger vehicle owners to demonstrate financial responsibility for any injuries they cause. Most owners buy bodily injury liability (BIL) insurance to satisfy this requirement.
Florida law exempts golf carts from these insurance requirements. Many owners carry PIP and BIL insurance for their golf carts. But many choose not to.
If you get hit by a golf cart, you should:
- Stop at the accident scene
- Report the crash to the police if you or the golf cart driver suffered an injury
- Exchange information with the golf cart driver, including their insurance information if they have a golf cart policy
- Document the accident scene if you have the physical ability to do so
- Seek medical treatment for any injuries that require more than first aid
- Follow your doctor’s directions for caring for your injuries
- Schedule a free consultation with a lawyer to discuss your accident, ideally before you speak with any insurance companies
- File a claim with your PIP insurer if possible
- If the golf cart was insured, file an insurance claim with the golf cart driver’s insurer
- If the golf cart was not insured or your injury attorney cannot settle with the golf cart insurer, consider filing a lawsuit against the golf cart driver
Knowing what to do after a Jacksonville golf cart accident can preserve your right to pursue injury compensation.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Jacksonville Golf Cart Accident Attorneys
Since many owners do not insure their golf carts, you may need a creative Jacksonville golf cart accident lawyer to find sources of injury compensation after your accident. Contact Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation to discuss your golf cart accident and the compensation you can seek for your injuries.
