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Is Golf Cart Insurance Necessary?

Does Car Insurance Cover Golf Cart Accidents? Who Pays for a Golf Cart Accident?

Golf carts are common in The Villages and throughout central Florida (read more on golf cart rules in The Villages, FL). After purchasing a golf cart, one must decide if he/she is going to purchase golf cart insurance. However, before purchasing golf cart insurance, it is important to know if you have a traditional golf cart or a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV).

Most people in The Villages drive traditional golf carts that top out at 20 mph and don’t have to be registered or insured. Yet, that does not pertain to NEVs. NEVs are usually built to have a top speed of 25 miles per hour and a maximum loaded weight of 3,000 lbs. They can be driven on roads where the speed limit does not exceed 35 mph (in The Villages, they can cross busy US highway 27/441). NEVs also fall under the United States Department of Transportation classification for “low-speed vehicles.”

Unlike traditional golf carts, NEVs must have brake lights, headlamps, a horn, parking brakes, taillights, rearview mirrors, blinkers, turn signals, windshields, and seat belts. They also must be licensed, tagged, and insured.

During Florida’s 2013 legislative session, a bill was introduced that would authorize the administrative conversion of a low-speed vehicle (such as a NEV) to a traditional golf cart. In the proposed language of the bill, the owner must surrender the registration license plate and certificate of title, as well as comply with all requirements currently set for traditional golf carts. The newly converted golf cart will not have to be registered or insured and the driver will not have to be licensed. Stay tuned for updates on the bill’s passage!

Insurance for Golf Carts in Florida

Regardless of whether or not you are required by law to have golf cart insurance in Florida, it is always a good idea that you do. So what type of golf cart insurance should you purchase? Should you add golf cart coverage to a homeowner’s policy? Or should you buy a separate golf cart insurance policy?

With a typical homeowner’s policy, your medical costs are not covered. Similarly, if you cause an accident, your homeowner’s policy may not cover third-party injuries and property damage.

As a result, it is highly recommended that you purchase a separate golf cart insurance policy with the following coverages:

  • Medical Payments Coverage: This covers the necessary medical care you receive because of a golf cart accident;
  • Liability Coverage: This coverage is for third-party injuries and property damage as a result of a golf cart accident;
  • Collision Coverage: This covers your golf cart in the event of damage caused by a collision with other vehicles or objects, regardless of fault;
  • Other than Collision Coverage: This provides coverage for other damages such as theft, flood and vandalism; and
  • Uninsured Motorist Coverage: This coverage takes the place of liability coverage for the at-fault driver if he/she is uninsured/underinsured and provides you with an ability to make a recovery for outstanding medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and other damages.

Conclusion

Have you been denied benefits or compensated far less for your golf cart accident? You may also want to connect with a Florida insurance dispute lawyer near you. In the event of a collision, contact our golf cart accident lawyers in Ocala, golf cart accident lawyers in The Villages, or in one of our other service areas.

Disclaimer

*The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send any confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established.

Gordon Glover

Attorney Gordon Glover is the founder of the Glover Law Firm Accident & Injury Lawyer in Ocala and The Villages, Florida. He has an AV-rating by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating as determined by other attorneys and the judiciary. Gordon has been recognized by Florida Super Lawyers, a distinction given to less than 2.5 % of the lawyers in Florida, and earned AVVO’s highest rating of “Superb 10/10.” Glover Law Firm also has a perfect A+ rating on the BBB (Better Business Bureau).