What is my 15 year-old daughter’s liability for a golf car accident if she was driving?

Get Legal Help Today

Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption

What is my 15 year-old daughter’s liability for a golf car accident if she was driving?

My daughter was asked by a friend to join her and her family on a trip to their lake house. During the weekend my daughter’s friend took the family’sgolf cart and they both went driving in the area (public road). After a short while my daughter asked her friend if she could drive. The golf cart had an alignment problem which was not known to my daughter before she started to drive. She subsequently hit a parked car. The owner (her friend’s dad) now wants us to pay for the damages to both the parked car (which is not his) as well as to the golf cart.

Asked on August 16, 2011 Alabama

Answers:

FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 12 years ago | Contributor

Since your gaughter was driving a golf cart and hit a parked car with it damaging the car and the cart, she is responsible for the damages to both subject to the following observations:

An argument could be made that the alignment problem with the cart caused the accident. However, whether that was a cause of the accident or not would be subject to debate. Another argument is that the owner of the cart may have been negligent in not supervising the use of the golf cart and allowing an inexperienced minor to operate it.

Finally, the golf course itself could be negligent for allowing minors to operate golf carts on its facility without adequate instruction and supervision.


IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.

Get Legal Help Today

Find the right lawyer for your legal issue.

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption