Nearly Half of All Golf Cart Injuries Involve Children

The family-friendly golfing communities of the Columbia, Darlington and Florence, South Carolina area are great places to raise kids. Because South Carolina golf cart laws allow licensed drivers to take golf carts on secondary roads up to four miles from their homes, golf carts are often used as much as the family car for running errands, getting to work, school, church and social events. Since teenagers with drivers' licenses can legally operate golf carts, these efficient, quiet electric vehicles can become a common form of transportation for them as well. And because some parents feel youngsters can handle these small, easy-to-operate electric vehicles, even kids under 15 are allowed to drive golf carts, and yet children are more prone to being ejected than adults because they weigh so little. If your child suffered traumatic head injuries or died in a golf cart crash, we can help your golf cart case, including negotiating with insurance companies directly. Call Benjamin R. Matthews and Associates, LLC at (803) 799-1700 and we help families of injured kids in the Midlands, which includes the Columbia area, and the Pee Dee region, including Darlington, as well as the Florence area.

Nearly Half of All Golf Cart Injuries Involve Children

Studies have shown that 40 percent of all golf cart accidents involve children, with the highest rates of golf cart injuries found in 10- to 19-year-old boys. Kids may consider golf carts to be like toys, and have been known to race golf carts, even down city roads. If a golf cart runs into something, however, occupants can be thrown from the golf cart, sometimes suffering fatal traumatic brain injuries. The Center For Disease Control and Prevention cites case after case of kids who become airborne when their golf cart runs into a parked car or the golf cart overturns. With so few safety features, such as airbags or a full car body protecting them, and seatbelts rarely used even when golf carts have them, children can be severely injured in a golf cart accident.

We're not only knowledgeable golf cart accident attorneys, we're golfers and parents ourselves. We can appreciate why parents might consider golf carts to be safe for their kids to drive around the neighborhood, assuming they'll be safe. But we know how distracted drivers can be, and that people in full-size vehicles will drive dangerously to pass a golf cart that's going too slow for them, or to intimidate a kid driving a moped on the shoulder or in a bike lane. Contact Benjamin R. Matthews and Associates, LLC today so we can talk about any golf cart crash injury your child may have suffered. Reach us (803) 799-1700 or contact us online for a free initial consultation. Every discussion is confidential and we serve the entire Florence, Darlington, Columbia, Midlands and Pee Dee, SC area.