Golf Carts Recalled for Faulty Tanks that May Catch Fire

According to CNBC, new golf cart owners may get more excitement than they bargained for if they bought a certain golf cart in 2012. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) just recalled 4,000 golf carts made by Club Car LLC. The affected vehicles were sold between April and June 2012 and run on gasoline or diesel. One part of the fuel tank, the filler neck, may crack, causing a fuel leak and potentially a fire.

While no injuries or actual fires have been reported, at least 10 fuel tanks have cracked, according to reports received by the CPSC. The manufacturer of the golf carts is notifying everyone who has purchased a golf cart that may be affected by this defect. In the meantime, if you own one of these golf carts, please stop using it and contact Club Car LLC for a replacement fuel tank.

This voluntary recall is based on a defective product, which appears to be repairable by replacing the defective part with a better one. Someone who manufactures a faulty or defective product could potentially be held liable for property damage or injuries that occur as a result of the product’s defects. This type of case is called a product liability case. It is important to remember that a product liability case cannot be won unless the victim’s injury was caused by the actual defect in the product. In this case, for instance, if someone is driving one of the defective golf carts and runs into a tree and becomes injured, he would not have a product liability case because he was injured by hitting a tree. However, if the golf cart caught fire because of the faulty fuel tank, and the driver was injured as a result of the fire, he would most likely have a viable product liability claim.

Before you hit the links in your new golf cart, make sure it is not one that is part of this recall. Even the best round of golf is not worth getting injured.

About the Editors: The Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton personal injury law firm, which has offices in Virginia (VA) and North Carolina (NC), edits the injury law blogs Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard as pro bono services.

MH