A woman behind the wheel of a golf cart was ejected from the vehicle after being struck by an SUV in a Villages Publix parking lot.
The Summerfield woman was injured in the early December crash when she “pulled into the path of the SUV in the parking lot of the store at La Plaza Grande,” Villages-News reports. The collision caused the golf cart to spin around, while the woman reportedly was thrown to the ground.
The woman was taken by ambulance to UF Health-The Villages Hospital, where she was treated for unidentified injuries. The SUV driver reportedly remained at the scene to talk with police responding to the accident.
The Villages-News report did not indicate whether the golf cart driver was wearing a seat belt at the time of the collision.
More than 130 golf cart accidents happen in The Villages every year, according to a recent study by the Taylor & Francis Group. The crashes on average leave 65 people with injuries serious enough to send them to the hospital and another nine dead or disabled.
About 27% of crashes that cause death or injury involve a person being ejected from a golf cart, the Taylor & Francis Group found.
“Virtually all death and disability occurred within the setting of golf carts used on streets or road pathways,” the study’s authors concluded. “Death and disability, particularly due to ejection during golf cart crashes, occur at an alarming rate when golf carts are used for local transportation.”
The Villages saw two fatal accidents last year in which people were ejected from their golf carts.
A 74-year-old man was killed in February when his golf cart collided with a two-seater Mercedes Benz coupe. The man, who reportedly was not wearing a seat belt at the time, was leaving the post office on Morse Boulevard north of County Road 466 at the time of the collision.
A 57-year-old Villager died six months later in a single-vehicle accident when his golf cart struck a guardrail on the Brownwood Bridge. The driver was reportedly exceeding the spotted speed limit at the time of the accident.
Injured in a Villages Golf Cart Accident? Here is What You Should Know
There are steps that people can take to make traveling by golf cart safer, like buckling up and complying with traffic laws. Still, golf cart crashes can and do happen.
Anyone who is hurt in a golf cart accident in The Villages or throughout Florida has the right to seek compensation from those responsible. That includes money for doctors' bills and other costs related to physical and mental injuries, as well as for any property damage and impact on earning capacity.
In the tragic event that a person dies in a golf cart accident, his or her family can seek similar monetary damages for wrongful death. There is no amount of money that can replace a loved one, but compensation can reduce some of the financial stress that often comes with the death of a family member.
Speak With a Villages Golf Cart Accident Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured in a golf cart accident, it is crucial to seek the advice of an experienced injury attorney. Villages accident lawyer 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 accident attorney.
