Mount Pleasant Golf Cart Accident Lawyer

Golf carts feel harmless. They roll along at low speed, carry a few passengers at a time, and have become part of everyday life in Mount Pleasant and many other communities across South Carolina.

If you live in Mount Pleasant, you see them everywhere. Families use golf carts and LSVs to get around the Old Village, Seaside Farms, Snee Farm, Carolina Park & Park West, and other neighborhoods. On Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island, they are part of the beach-town landscape. Around school drop-off in the morning, it is not unusual to see parents taking their children to school or making a quick neighborhood trip by golf cart. Even local restaurants and beaches have golf cart only parking available.

That familiarity can disguise how vulnerable the people inside a golf cart really are.

Many golf carts have little of the occupant protection we take for granted in a passenger vehicle: no doors, no airbags, limited restraints, and an open passenger compartment. And when a golf cart shares the road with an SUV, pickup truck, delivery van, or large commercial vehicle, the two vehicles are simply not evenly matched.

That does not mean golf carts are inherently unsafe or that families should not use them. It means that when another driver makes a mistake, the consequences for the people riding in the golf cart can be severe.

A cart that rolls over, an occupant thrown onto pavement, or a collision with a car at an intersection can cause injuries just as serious as a full-scale car crash, even though the vehicle itself may seem relatively harmless.

People hurt in golf cart accidents often assume there is nothing to be done, especially if the cart was on a golf course, a private road, or someone else’s property. That assumption is frequently wrong. A careless driver, negligent property owner, rental company, or manufacturer may bear responsibility.

When a loved one is hurt or killed in a golf cart accident, a personal injury attorney can help determine whether you have a claim and roughly what it might be worth. Every situation is different, and the location, the equipment involved, the other vehicles involved, and the people nearby at the time can all shape what happened.

Key Takeaways: What to Know About Golf Cart Accident Claims in South Carolina

● Golf cart accidents on a golf course, private street, neighborhood road, or resort property can still lead to a valid claim.

● Golf carts and Low Speed Vehicles (LSVs) provide far less protection than most passenger vehicles, which can make injuries worse than the speed alone would suggest.

● South Carolina has specific laws governing who can operate golf carts, the types of golf carts / LSVs allowed, where they can travel, and how young passengers must be secured on public roads.

● More than one at-fault party may share responsibility, including a careless golf cart driver, another motorist, or whoever controls the property where the accident happened.

● A free consultation costs nothing, and most golf cart accident lawyers work on a contingency fee, so you don’t pay a dime out of pocket to get started.

● Waiting too long can cost your family the right to recover anything at all, so don’t delay reaching out.

Golf Carts Are Part of Life in Mount Pleasant

Golf carts are no longer limited to the back nine.

Across Mount Pleasant, families use them for short neighborhood trips, visiting friends, getting to the community pool or park, and sometimes taking children to and from school. They are particularly common in areas such as the Old Village and Park West and throughout the beaches on IOP and Sullivan’s Island.

There is nothing unusual about seeing a parent with young children riding along on a golf cart in our area.

What can be unsettling is how little separates those passengers from the traffic around them. You occasionally see a parent holding a very young child while controlling the cart with the other hand. Nobody gets onto a golf cart expecting to crash, and this is not about blaming parents for using a common neighborhood vehicle. But the laws of physics are unforgiving once a golf cart collides with a much larger vehicle.

The biggest danger may not be the golf cart itself. It is often the environment in which the cart is being used. I get nervous when I see one crossing Highway 17 during rush hour.

A golf cart traveling through a quiet neighborhood may suddenly have to cross an intersection used by cars, SUVs, pickups, landscaping vehicles, or delivery trucks. A driver who fails to yield, looks at a phone, speeds through an intersection, or simply fails to notice the smaller vehicle can turn an ordinary neighborhood trip into a serious accident.

Case Results

$3,000,000+

Drunk Driver case brought against a Charleston bar that massively overserved a drunk patron, who then drove away and collided head on with another car, killing the mother of an infant and toddler.

$1,500,000

Commercial vehicle case brought on behalf of two out-of-state visitors who were seriously injured while riding aboard a resort-operated bus that crashed.

$250,000

Hit and Run case brought a driver who rear ended a mother driving home after dropping off a donation at Goodwill, then racing away and leaving her in significant pain.

Reviews

Golf Carts and LSVs Aren’t as Harmless as They Look

LSVs and golf carts weigh far less than a car and sit much closer to the ground, but that does not necessarily make them safer for the people riding inside it.

Without the protective structure of a passenger vehicle, an occupant can be thrown during a sudden stop, sharp turn, rollover, or collision. There is also little structure surrounding a passenger if a car or truck strikes the side of the cart or LSV.

Rollovers are another cause of severe golf cart injuries. A cart’s relatively high center of gravity means that a turn taken too fast, an uneven patch of ground, or a cart carrying more passengers than it was designed for can cause it to tip.

But some of the most serious golf cart accident cases have little to do with the cart driver’s behavior at all. A person riding responsibly through a neighborhood can still be badly injured because another driver fails to yield or does not see the golf cart until it is too late.

Golf Cart Injuries Can Be Serious

Because occupants have so little protection, golf cart accidents frequently cause:

● Traumatic brain injuries

● Fractures

● Concussions

● Spinal and neck injuries

● Road rash and significant lacerations

● Catastrophic injuries requiring long-term care

● In the most severe cases, wrongful death

Children can be particularly vulnerable because of their smaller size and their ability to be thrown from an open cart.

Anyone involved in a golf cart accident, even one that seems minor at first, should seek medical attention right away. Some golf cart-related injuries, particularly head injuries, are not obvious immediately after the crash.

South Carolina‘s New Golf Cart Law

South Carolina substantially updated its golf cart law in 2025.

Under S.C. Code § 56-2-90, a golf cart used on a public highway must be registered with the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles and carry liability insurance. The operator must be at least 16 years old, have a valid driver’s license, and carry the cart’s registration certificate and proof of insurance.

Unless a municipality has adopted different rules under the authority granted by the statute, a permitted golf cart generally may be driven only:

● During daylight hours

● On secondary roads with a speed limit of 35 mph or less

● Within four miles of the address on the golf cart’s registration certificate, or within four miles of the entrance to a qualifying gated community

● Across a road with a speed limit greater than 35 mph only at an intersection

The 2025 law also added an important child-safety requirement: a passenger under 12 must wear a fastened safety belt when a golf cart is being operated on South Carolina‘s public streets or highways.

The statute also gives cities and towns greater authority to regulate golf-cart use, including creating separated golf-cart paths and, under certain conditions, allowing nighttime operation when carts have working headlights and taillights.

Mount Pleasant currently advises golf cart owners and drivers to follow these state requirements, including the 35-mph road restriction, driver’s-license requirement, daylight rule, and seat-belt requirement for passengers under 12.

Low Speed Vehicles are required to meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety standards, so the restrictions on these vehicles are less than what we see on traditional golf carts.

Golf Cart Rules on Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island

The rules can change as you move between communities around East Cooper.

After South Carolina changed the law, Isle of Palms passed on ordinance prohibiting golf carts on SC-703 (Palm Blvd) and both golf carts and LSVs on SC-517 (the IOP Connector). The city specifically noted the “significant and growing number” of residents using golf carts to travel around the island.

Sullivan’s Island also has restrictions worth knowing. The Town advises that permitted golf carts may use qualifying secondary roads such as Middle Street but cannot travel on SC-703, including Ben Sawyer Blvd and Jasper Blvd, and cannot use the Ben Sawyer Bridge or the Breach Inlet bridge connecting Sullivan’s Island and Isle of Palms.

These rules matter after an accident, but violating a golf cart law does not automatically answer every question about who caused the crash. A golf cart passenger, for example, may still have a claim when another motorist’s careless driving caused the collision.

What Causes Golf Cart Accidents?

Golf cart accidents can happen in several different ways. Common causes include:

● Speeding on a path or roadway not designed for higher speeds

● Distracted driving, including looking at a phone while operating a golf cart or car

● Reckless driving, such as sharp turns or aggressive passing

● Failing to yield the right of way at an intersection

● A car or truck driver failing to see a golf cart sharing or crossing the roadway

● Ignoring posted traffic laws on streets where golf carts are permitted

● An underage or otherwise unlicensed operator behind the wheel

● Overloading a cart with more riders than the manufacturer intended

● Driving after drinking

In Mount Pleasant, some crashes present another problem: mixing neighborhood golf-cart traffic with much larger vehicles.

A collision does not have to happen at highway speed to cause a serious injury. When an open golf cart is struck by a full-size passenger vehicle, the occupants of the cart have far less protection from the impact.

Identifying the At-Fault Party

Determining who is responsible after a golf cart accident depends on where and how it happened.

If a car or truck strikes a golf cart because its driver was speeding, distracted, or failed to yield, the driver of that larger vehicle may be responsible just as in any other traffic accident.

Depending on the facts, the at-fault driver may not be the only party facing liability. Others who may share fault include:

● A property owner, such as a resort, HOA, or golf course, that failed to maintain safe paths or crossings

● A rental company that rented out a cart with defective brakes or other safety problems

● A manufacturer, if a design or equipment defect contributed to the crash

● Another driver who struck the golf cart on a public road

Because golf carts so often operate in neighborhoods and on private property, questions about who controls and maintains the property frequently come up in these cases.

An investigation may include photographs of the intersection or roadway, surveillance footage, witness statements, the condition of the golf cart, damage to the vehicles, police reports, and evidence concerning whether the applicable South Carolina or local golf cart rules were being followed.

What Compensation May Be Available?

Golf cart accident settlements and verdicts can include compensation for a range of losses, including:

● Medical bills and future medical expenses

● Lost wages

● Pain and suffering

● Property damage to a vehicle or the golf cart itself

● Ongoing care tied to catastrophic injuries

● Wrongful death damages when a golf cart accident proves fatal

The amount available depends on the severity of the injuries, the circumstances of the crash, the insurance coverage available, and other facts particular to the case.

How Long Do You Have to File a Golf Cart Accident Claim?

South Carolina‘s statute of limitations sets a deadline for bringing most personal injury claims, and that deadline can arrive faster than people expect.

Speaking with an attorney early also gives your case the best chance of preserving evidence. Golf cart accident evidence can disappear quickly. Surveillance video can be erased, witnesses can become difficult to locate, roadway conditions can change, and a damaged golf cart can be repaired or disposed of.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I file a claim if the golf cart accident happened on a golf course or private property?

Yes. The fact that an accident happened on private property does not prevent an injured person from having a claim. Depending on what happened, a golf cart driver, property owner, golf course, resort, HOA, rental company, or another party may be responsible.

Can I bring a claim if I wasn’t the one driving the golf cart?

Yes. A passenger injured in a golf cart accident may have a claim against the golf cart driver, another driver involved in the crash, or another responsible party depending on what caused the accident.

What if a car hit the golf cart?

A driver of a car, SUV, pickup, or commercial vehicle has the same obligation to use reasonable care around a golf cart as around other lawful roadway users. If another driver was speeding, distracted, failed to yield, or otherwise caused the collision, that driver may be responsible for the golf cart passengers’ injuries.

Does it matter that the golf cart had no seat belts?

It can. South Carolina law now specifically requires golf cart passengers under 12 to wear a fastened safety belt when the cart is being operated on public streets and highways. In other cases, the presence or absence of restraints may still be relevant to understanding how an occupant was injured. But there are many nuances, so even an unbelted passenger may be able to recover from an at-fault driver.

What if my child was injured in a golf cart accident?

Children injured in golf cart accidents can bring personal injury claims just like adults, although claims involving minors have additional legal considerations. When a child suffers a head injury, fracture, scar, or other significant injury, it is particularly important to understand the child’s future medical needs before resolving the claim.

Do I need a driver’s license to have a claim?

Not if you were simply a passenger. If you were operating the golf cart on a public highway, however, South Carolina law generally requires the operator to be at least 16 and hold a valid driver’s license.

What does a free case evaluation entail?

Nothing. We offer a free consultation to go over what happened, review the collision report, discuss medical treatment and to explain the legal process that lies ahead. Our fees only come out of a contingency fee recovery, so there’s no charge for having a conversation with me.

Where is Colin Ram Law, LLC located?

Colin Ram Law is located at 941 Houston Northcutt Blvd., Suite 203, in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina 29464.

Where is Colin Ram Law, LLC Located?

941 Houston Northcutt Blvd #203, Mt Pleasant, SC 29464

Talk to a Mount Pleasant Golf Cart Accident Lawyer

Golf carts are part of everyday life in Mount Pleasant and along the nearby barrier islands. Most trips end exactly as they should: a short, easy ride through the neighborhood.

But golf carts provide almost none of the physical protection we expect from a passenger car. When another driver makes a mistake, a few seconds can turn an ordinary family outing into a serious injury.

At Colin Ram Law, we investigate golf cart accidents in Mount Pleasant and throughout South Carolina, including accidents involving neighborhood streets, golf courses, resorts, private communities, and public roads.

Getting in touch does not by itself create an attorney-client relationship, and nothing on this page is intended as legal advice about your particular situation. But a free case evaluation can help you understand where things stand.

If you have questions after a golf cart accident, we would rather you ask them early than wonder later whether you missed something important. Call or text 843-278-7000, or complete the form below and we’ll be in touch.

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The last thing you need right now is the hassle of finding legal help, so we make the process seamless. You can sign up from your smartphone or laptop and have legal representation in place today.

Give me a call and we can talk about your options. We can have a complimentary strategy session to answer your questions, discuss your concerns, and put together a plan to get you through the process.

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COLIN RAM LAW, LLC

941 Houston Northcutt Blvd.
Suite 203
Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
843-278-7000 | colin@sctrial.com

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DISCLAIMER – No attorney-client relationship has been established unless and until you have entered into a written agreement with this office. The information contained in this website is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter. Case results listed here include cases Colin handled at other firms as lead counsel prior to starting Colin Ram Law, LLC. The results Colin achieved on behalf of clients in other matters does not necessarily indicate similar results can be obtained in other cases. All cases will be handled from the Mt. Pleasant, SC office located in Charleston County, South Carolina.