Florida Legal Settlement Shows Golfers and Course Owners Need to be Concerned with On-Course Safety
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TAMPA, Fla., May 7 /PRNewswire/ -- In January 2000, Gaylon and Mary Jones booked a tee time at Westchase Golf and Country Club near Tampa, Florida. Little did they know that their plans for a leisurely round of golf would change their lives forever. Prior to their tee time, Mr. Jones and his friend proceeded to the driving range to hit some warm-up balls. At the range, raised granite markers were used to separate each golfer and designate where they should tee their practice balls. Mr. Jones set-up between two markers, teed his ball adjacent to a marker and "toed" a driver. The ball rebounded off the marker and struck Mr. Jones in his right eye causing permanent loss and eventual removal of the eye.
The ensuing case against the golf course and Management Company was settled for $1 million dollars in November 2007. A starter testified that prior to the accident, he warned the assistant professional that raised granite markers may look good, but were risky. "People need to be more alert about the potential dangers associated with the golf course," commented Tampa trial attorney Lee Gunn IV (http://www.gunnlawgroup.com/attorney.asp?p=lee.html) of Gunn Law Group (http://www.gunnlawgroup.com/) who represented Mr. Gaylon. "Hopefully, the personal and financial consequences of this case will send a message to golf course operators to take more precautions," noted Mr. Gunn (http://www.gunnlawgroup.com/attorney.asp?p=lee.html). Currently, there are no published safety standards by the USGA or Golf Course Superintendents Association regarding tee markers. Some responsible operators use portable side guard nets to contain errant shots and avoid rebounds, while others lay rope along the ground to identify the hitting area. Mr. Gunn (http://www.gunnlawgroup.com/attorney.asp?p=lee.html ) encouraged ANSI or the Golf Industry to formally adopt safety standards that remove potential hazards from range areas.
While rare, eye injuries from the impact of a golf ball usually result in the loss of all useful vision, according to a May 2000 article written by Dr. Al Aly, M.D. of the Division of Plastic Surgery at the University of Iowa. The consequences are almost always devastating. A golf ball weighing 1-1/2 ounces can travel up to 150 miles per hour and strike an object with energy of 75 ft. lbs. (a pound of weight dropped 75 feet) according to the Sports Safety Fund website (http://www.drpashby.ca). "At the very least, information about the risk of golfing related blindness should be made more available and the use of adequate eye protection encouraged," noted Mr. Gunn (http://www.gunnlawgroup.com/attorney.asp?p=lee.html).
About Gunn Law: Gunn Law Group is a Tampa-based plaintiff's law firm representing clients that have been harmed due to no fault of their own. The specialty firm concentrates its legal practice on only the most serious cases involving personal injury, insurance coverage and bad faith, medical malpractice, and products liability. With over 23 years of experience, Lee D. Gunn IV is Board Certified as a specialist in Civil Trial Law by The Florida Bar and the National Board of Trial Advocacy.
SOURCE Gunn Law Group
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