Golf Course Accident

Case: A 55-year- old Client was participating at his employer’s sponsored golf tournament. He was basically “at work.” While driving his golf cart from the 18th to the 19th Hole, Client encountered a service vehicle parked to the side of the golf cart path. The vehicle carried a trailer with tree branches sticking out from its side. While Client was maneuvering his golf cart past the service vehicle, a few branches sticking out from the trailer first bent and then snapped against the front of the golf cart. In the act of ducking to the side, to avoid being hit by those branches, Client’s foot slipped out of the golf cart and was crushed between the service vehicle and the golf cart. The accident caused a severe injury which led to surgery and permanent disability. As Client was at work, when the accident happened, he received medical and disability benefits under the Worker’s Compensation system. However, Client filed a lawsuit against the Golf Course, on the theory of premises liability and general negligence. I tried the case in association with my colleague, Eileen Rech Simon, of the Law Offices of Esra Jung, in Sunnivale.