The Villages saw at least two serious accidents in March in which passengers in golf carts fell from the vehicles.
A woman suffered traumatic injuries on March 28 after tumbling from a golf cart near Big Cypress Recreation Center, Villages-News reports. She struck the asphalt below the vehicle, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office said.
The accident happened less than three weeks after an Illinois woman was killed when she fell from a golf cart in a similar scenario. The woman, who reportedly was visiting her mother in the Historic Side of The Villages, was ejected from the vehicle when the driver swerved to avoid hitting a parked car. The driver, a 58-year-old resident of the Village of Rio Ponderosa, was charged with DUI manslaughter.
These kinds of accidents are unfortunately common in The Villages, where golf carts are often the preferred method for getting around. Anyone who is injured in a golf cart crash has the right to seek compensation from those responsible. In the tragic case that a person dies in an accident, his or her loved ones can seek similar compensation through a wrongful death claim.
Golf Cart Safety: Buckle Up
It is not clear whether either woman was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the incident. What we do know is that Villagers far too often travel in golf carts without buckling up.
Seatbelts protect drivers and passengers from being ejected from their golf carts. Ejections can cause painful, debilitating, and even fatal injuries when people are thrown from a vehicle to the ground below with little or no advance warning and nothing to soften the blow.
More than 130 golf cart accidents happen in The Villages every year, according to a 2023 study by the Taylor & Francis Group. The accidents leave 65 people with injuries serious enough to send them to the hospital, and another nine dead or disabled, on average, per year.
More than a quarter (27%) of crashes that cause death or injury involve a person being ejected from a golf cart, the Taylor & Francis Group found.
Ejection is the “most preventable” cause of golf cart injuries, according to the group, which said seatbelts are the logical way to prevent ejections.
Many golf carts do not come standard equipped with seatbelts. That is because they are designed to accommodate golfers who frequently get in and out of their vehicles. For golf carters who use the vehicles outside of the links, seatbelts are a vital safety protection that can be easily added at minimal charge.
Talk With a Villages Injury Attorney
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car, truck, motorcycle, golf cart or other accident, it is vital to seek the advice of an experienced lawyer. Villages injury attorney Tim Babiarz has been fighting for people and families across the community for more than two decades.
Our office is conveniently located in the Villages. We are also proud to represent clients throughout the area, including in Ocala, Leesburg, Lady Lake, Wildwood, Summerfield and beyond. Call (352) 205-7559 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation with a Villages injury attorney.
