A man died after he lost control of his golf cart in Fort Myers and crashed into a propane truck Saturday, injuring his passenger and the driver of the truck, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.
The crash happened around 11 a.m. Saturday on Winkler Road. Officials with Florida Highway Patrol told reporters that the man was driving the golf cart south when he “left the road, overcorrected” and swerved into oncoming traffic, hitting a propane truck traveling in the opposite direction.
The golf cart driver, 44, was pronounced dead at the scene while his passenger, a 30-year-old man, was injured along with the driver of the propane truck. Both had minor injuries, according to local reporting.
The crash remains under investigation by FHP.
Uptick in Incidents
In Florida’s many beach towns and coastal cities, golf carts are a fun and accessible mode of transportation. Though idyllic and easier to park than a clunking, everyday vehicle, golf carts do present a fair share of risks. In reporting from The New York Post, reporters cited that these low-speed vehicles are responsible for an uptick in emergency room visits involving crashes, fires and severe injuries. The majority of these incidents, the article showed, included drinking and golf carting, irresponsible drivers and fires due to overcharging and or substandard batteries.
An 18-year-old in Martin County suffered severe burns after a golf cart charging on his family’s property caught fire. The boy was attempting to save his dog from the blaze when he incurred the bulk of his injuries. Thankfully, he was able to make a full recovery after several days on a ventilator.
Gold cart drivers taking to the main streets and parents allowing their children to drive has posed another risk. Due to these low-speed, electric vehicles being considered a “carefree” mode of transport, many people do not bother buckling their seatbelts.
Data from hospitals show that, particularly in children, these incidents are on the rise. Children admitted to Wolfson Children’s Hospital with golf cart-related injuries saw a 50% increase from at least 2020. These injuries have ranged from more serious and life-threatening injuries such as brain bleeds and traumatic brain injuries to painful ones such as broken bones and fractures.
One risk associated with these vehicles is their propensity to flip. Golf carts have a higher center of gravity, making them more unstable than regular vehicles. Children are more likely to be ejected from these vehicles in a crash. Compounding the instability of these vehicles is their narrow wheelbase, causing flipping to be a more common occurrence when making sharp turns or when driving on uneven terrain.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has recorded an annual injury tally for golf cart-related incidents in the United States, pitting the number at 15,000 emergency room visits. About 40% of golf cart-related incidents involve children under 16 years old and approximately half of these incidents involve injuries from children being ejected from the vehicle.
Leesfield & Partners
In Miami, a city known to make national headlines for canoes in flooded streets and e-scooters on highways, this data comes as no surprise. Throughout 48 years of representing injured clients and grieving families, Leesfield & Partners attorneys have handled thousands of cases of injuries on the road including record verdicts such as the case for a devastated family hit by a drunk driver that resulted in a $95 million award after the death of their daughter and permanent injury to their son.
It is why Founder and Managing Partner, Ira Leesfield, has become resolute in his advocacy for public safety. When it comes to vehicles such as golf carts, following the law is crucial to avoid any potential injuries. Other recreational vehicle-involved crashes in which clients sought the representation of Leesfield & Partners attorneys include all-terrain vehicles. As these vehicles became marketed as toys for children, despite the obvious dangers, Mr. Leesfield and the attorneys at Leesfield & Partners stepped in to raise the alarm bells, securing over $10 million for clients all over the United States in ATV crashes.
Past Cases
Leesfield & Partners represented an injured client who had a serious femur fracture as a result of a golf cart crash involving a bicycle.
The firm secured a $500,000 award in a golf cart accident that involved permanent orthopedic injuries to a client.
Recently in Miami, where Leesfield & Partners has one of three offices, a woman was killed and another was injured after they lost control of the ATV they were riding on, resulting in them falling into a canal.
Leesfield & Partners attorneys were obtained to represent the family following the tragic death of their teenage daughter following an ATV crash. The girl, 15, was riding a recreational vehicle when she was killed. The firm secured a $4.5 million settlement for the negligent entrustment of a recreational vehicle to a minor and the failure of the responsible parent to supervise the children.
In two other cases handled by the firm that involved ATVs, attorneys secured $5 million and $4.75 million in products liability claims.
What Does the Law Say?
In Florida, golf carts may be driven on roads where the speed limit is 30 mph, or less, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Some county roads where golf carts have been approved are allowed to have these vehicles. Signs will be posted on such roads warning other drivers to watch out for them. Some municipalities have ordinances expanding and or limiting the use of golf carts on local roads. For example, on Key Biscayne, golf carts are generally approved for use on residential roads and on private properties. Restrictions in areas on the island include major highways, roads without designated golf cart lanes, high-traffic areas and within some public parks.
As of Oct. 1, 2023, drivers under 18 years old must have a valid learner’s permit or driver’s license to drive a golf cart. Anyone driving a golf cart over 18 years old must have a valid government-issued ID.
Golf carts cannot be driven on Florida sidewalks unless that sidewalk has also been designated as a golf cart path.
If you or a loved one was injured in a golf cart-related incident, don’t wait. Call a Leesfield & Partners attorney today for a free consultation at 800-836-6400.