Our firm is once again sponsoring a hole at the Verilli-Belikin Charity Golf Tournament hosted by the Workers’ Compensation Section of the Connecticut Bar Association. That makes this the perfect time to talk about the number one question we get when someone hears that we are lawyers on a golf course; who is responsible if you get injured by a golf ball on a golf course?
Those of you with an erratic slice need not worry - the answer is that no one is liable for any injuries so long as the person hitting the ball is acting as a reasonable golfer. A person aiming at the hole and trying to hit the ball straight will not be responsible for any injuries caused if the ball suddenly slices away onto the neighboring hole and hits someone. While this seems harsh to the person injured, there is some assumption of risk while participating in or attending any sporting activity.
But what if the person hitting the ball was not aiming at the hole when they hit the golf ball? What if they thought it would be funny to aim at the golf cart driving by or the house along the side of the course? The good news for a person injured in that scenario is that a golfer who is not acting like a “reasonable” golfer would be responsible for the injury. The courts do not want to reward bad behavior, so golfers acting recklessly will need to compensate the injured party for their injuries.
If you were the victim of an errant golf ball on the golf course, give us a call and we can talk about if a claim can be made.
