When an accident happens involving a golf cart, serious injuries can occur to those who are involved. The Villages golf cart accident attorney can provide representation to victims of golf cart accidents who suffer harm. Unfortunately, accidents on golf carts are far too common and many people have their lives irrevocably changed as a result of an incident on a golf cart.
It's important to understand the full risks of accidents involving golf carts if you are considering owning and operating a golf cart or if you live in an area, such as The Villages, where people regularly make use of golf carts in order to get around.
The good news is, there is research that provides in-depth insight into the prevalence of golf cart injuries. By understanding the data and assessing the likelihood of risk, you can take the necessary steps to try to protect yourself form harm as much as possible.
Understanding the Risk of Golf Cart Injuries
An analysis of golf cart related injuries in the United States was conducted by researchers at the Ohio State University College of Medicine, The Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, and the Century for Injury Research and Policy. The research was published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine. The researchers drew on data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System in order to examine non-fatal golf-cart related injuries that were treated at emergency departments in the United States over a 16-year period of time.
The research found that there were approximately 147,696 injuries connected with golf carts that necessitated visits to the hospital during that 16-year time period. The ages of those who were involved in golf cart incidents and who required treatment ranged from two-months old to 96 years of age. Children were the victims in 31.2 percent of golf cart injury cases in which accident victims sought treatment in the emergency room.
While some patients were treated on an outpatient basis, an estimated 7.8 percent of patients required hospitalization due to the severity of the injuries sustained. The most common type of injury suffered by those involved in golf cart accidents was soft tissue damage. The number of golf-cart related injuries increased steadily annually, but these increases led to a big overall rise in the risk of golf cart injuries. In fact, there was a 132.3 percent increase in the number of injuries related to golf carts.
Unfortunately, because golf carts are growing more popular and because golf carts are now coming equipped with many new and innovative features, it is likely golf cart accidents will continue to experience major increases.
While understanding the risks of golf cart accidents is important, ultimately there is little you can do to keep yourself safe from harm if other golf cart operators around you chose to behave in an unsafe and negligent way. If you get hurt because another golf cart operator is behaving irresponsibly, you should contact The Villages golf cart accident attorney for help taking appropriate legal action to recover compensation for loss.
