For many, nothing could be more relaxing than a beautiful afternoon of golf and good company. Sadly, some golf courses and country clubs fail to properly inspect and maintain equipment., which can lead to dangerous and even deadly rollover accidents.

Golf Cart Accidents Increasing

About 10 years ago, The New York Times reported that golf cart injuries were on the rise, with as many as 150,000 people seriously injured by golf carts between the years 1990 and 2006. This trend seems to be continuing.

Notable Golf Cart Crashes in Recent Years

ABC News reported a July 2016 rollover accident where three teenagers were seriously hurt when a golf cart overturned. Consider an even more recent case in which four people were hurt in a golf cart rollover in Missouri in 2017.

Common Golf Course Injuries

According to 2015 research by Kyongmin Lee, published by the University of New Mexico, the majority of golf course injuries are as follows:

• People struck by golf balls
• Slip and fall injuries on the course or in the clubhouse
• People struck by golf carts or injured by golf carts overturning
• Heat or other weather-related injuries

Reasons for Golf Cart Injuries

There are a number of reasons why people get hurt in golf cart accidents. According to the research out of New Mexico, the top causes of injuries were:

• Negligent golf course designs
• Defects in construction
• Poor maintenance
• Golf cart product defects

When maintenance, poor construction and design, or other local conduct is responsible, the management may be liable for the injuries. However, defective golf carts are a different matter.

Compensation for Injuries from Defective Golf Carts

When a golf cart is poorly manufactured or is built with inherent design flaws that make it more dangerous than usual, an injured person may have a products liability case. This is where a manufacturer is held liable for injuries due to problems with a product.

Since 2015, Club Car (a major manufacturer of golf carts) has recalled as many as 11,600 golf cart units due to manufacturer defects, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Given these figures, there is a clear problem with golf cart safety in America. If you or someone you love is injured by a defective golf cart or other type of golf course negligence, then you need experienced legal representation.