Golf carts are a common mode of transportation, but when an accident occurs on a golf cart, the consequences can be dire. This is especially true in circumstances where children are hurt while riding on a golf cart. In fact, Reuters reported on a recent study showing how severely children can be injured after a crash on a golf cart.
If you or your child sustains an injury in a golf cart accident, The Villages golf cart accident attorney should be contacted to provide you with help and support. You should call an attorney as soon as an accident happens to get the help and support that you need.
Children Face Serious Risks of Golf Cart Injuries
According to Reuters, there were approximately 150,000 golf cart injuries that occurred between 1990 and 2006 in the United States, according to a study from the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Children under the age of 16 accounted for around one third of all of those injuries, which is a very substantial number.
To dig into the impact of golf cart injuries on children, a new study was conducted by researchers from Vanderbilt University. The study involved taking a close look at children under the age of 18 who became patients at trauma centers from 2008 to 2016 as a result of becoming involved in a golf cart accident.
Turing the relevant time period of the study, there were 40 children between the ages of five and 14 who were treated at the trauma center. Approximately half of the children who were treated sustained injuries that were classified as either moderate or severe. The children who were in the older end of the age range were more likely to have sustained serious injuries and were most likely to have been injured either in the neck or the head.
Around 25 percent of all of the children who had to be treated at the trauma center following a golf cart injury had to spend time receiving care in the intensive care unit. And, in approximately half of the cases in which children received treatment, the hospital charges alone added up to more than $20,500.
Children were injured in many different ways on golf carts, but the most common cause of injuries to children in golf cart accidents occurred when kids were thrown from the golf cart. It was also very common for kids to be injured when an accident caused the golf cart to overturn.
Among the many children who had sustained injury, just one of the kids was wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident.
The study clearly shows that when kids ride on golf carts, the consequences can be dire and the costs of dealing with resulting injuries can be substantial. The Villages golf cart accident attorney should be consulted to provide help in situations where a child has been hurt in a golf cart crash.
