Navigating Golf Cart Accidents in North Carolina

An accident involving a golf cart can lead to potentially catastrophic injuries. Because most models provide little or no protection to their occupants, collisions may result in injuries such as fractures, crush injuries, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and paralysis.

If you’ve suffered injuries in a North Carolina golf cart accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you may have the right to seek compensation.

What Are Common Causes of Golf Cart Accidents in North Carolina?

Golf cart accidents in North Carolina can occur for various reasons. Some of the top causes of these collisions include:

• Speeding
• Driver inexperience
• Not looking before turning or backing up
• Failure to yield the right of way or follow cart path or road signs
• Distracted driving, including using a cell phone while driving
• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Drowsy or fatigued driving
• Carrying too many passengers or improperly transporting cargo
• Horseplay
• Driving over uneven or unstable ground
• Driving on steep inclines
• Making sharp turns
• Inadequate maintenance
• Poor road conditions, including broken pavement, potholes, or debris
• Design or manufacturing defects
• Bad weather

What Should I Do After a Golf Cart Accident in North Carolina?

Taking the following steps after a golf cart accident can help protect your right to seek compensation for injuries and property damage:

• Report the collision to law enforcement and get a copy of their accident report.
• Seek medical attention right away and follow the recommended treatment and recovery plan.
• Save copies of your medical records related to the accident.
• Gather your pay stubs to calculate any lost income.
• Keep all bills, invoices, receipts, and other paperwork related to the crash.

You should also contact a golf cart accident attorney as soon as possible to discuss how to pursue financial recovery from any at-fault parties.

How Is Fault Determined for a North Carolina Golf Cart Accident?

Various parties may bear responsibility for a golf cart accident in North Carolina. Determining fault will require reviewing evidence from the crash, such as:

• Police incident reports
• Accident scene photos and videos
• Post-accident cart inspections
• Repair and maintenance records
• Eyewitness testimony
• Surveillance camera footage
• Cell phone records and tower logs
• Accident reconstruction expert reports and testimony

A thorough investigation of a golf cart accident can help determine what caused it and allow you to identify who is responsible. Potentially responsible parties may include a driver, golf course management, maintenance staff, the cart manufacturer, and others involved. Liability depends on factors like negligence, equipment malfunction, improper maintenance, or unsafe conditions.

What Compensation Can I Recover from a Golf Cart Accident Claim?

In a golf cart accident claim, you may have the right to recover compensation for financial or personal losses you sustain due to injuries and property damage resulting from the crash. Your financial recovery can include money for your:

• Medical treatment, including hospitalization, surgeries, pain management, prescriptions, and rehabilitation
• Lost income, including loss of future earning potential if your injuries force you to work in a lower-paying job or result in permanent disability
• Physical and emotional pain and suffering
• Reduced quality and enjoyment of life
• Damaged personal property, including repairs to or replacement of your golf cart

Many factors may affect the compensation you can recover in a golf cart accident claim, including the severity of your injuries, the total amount of your medical expenses and lost wages, the amount of available insurance coverage, and your physical recovery.

Additionally, North Carolina law prevents golf cart accident victims from recovering compensation if they were even slightly responsible for causing the crash that led to their injuries. As a result, the at-fault party’s lawyers and insurers may try to shift blame away from their client and policyholder. This is one reason why you need an experienced and aggressive personal injury lawyer on your side. Your attorney will work to gather evidence proving the other party’s full responsibility for the collision and preserve your right to compensation.

Does Insurance Apply in a Golf Cart Accident?

You may have the option of pursuing insurance coverage for injuries and property damage you sustained in a North Carolina golf cart accident, depending on the circumstances. For example, golf courses typically carry liability insurance policies that may cover golf cart collisions that occur on or around the course. However, this liability coverage may have various exclusions, including for operator error or misconduct. In addition, pursuing a claim against business liability coverage can involve a complex, time-consuming process. In cases closer to home, homeowners insurance could apply.

Some auto insurance providers will extend coverage if you get into an accident while driving a golf cart. However, driving a street-legal golf cart requires you to meet various requirements, including installing safety features on the golf cart and having insurance coverage. Golf cart insurance frequently includes bodily and property damage liability coverage with the option to add other coverage, such as collision and comprehensive insurance.

How Long Do I Have to File a Golf Cart Accident Lawsuit in North Carolina?

Under North Carolina’s statute of limitations for personal injury claims, you typically have three years after a golf cart collision to file a lawsuit against the at-fault party. You can protect your right to seek compensation by talking to a golf cart accident lawyer from The Law Offices of John Drew Warlick, P.A. as soon as possible to get help filing your claims on time. Otherwise, you might lose your opportunity to seek financial recovery if you file a lawsuit after the limitations period expires.

Contact a North Carolina Golf Cart Accident Lawyer

After suffering injuries in a crash involving a golf cart in North Carolina, you need experienced legal representation to pursue financial recovery for your injuries and losses. The Law Offices of John Drew Warlick, P.A. has served North Carolina clients for three generations. Our firm is committed to fighting for injured clients to help them secure the compensation that will help them rebuild their lives. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation with our golf cart accident attorneys to discuss your legal rights and options.

Visit Our North Carolina Golf Cart Accident Law Offices