Thursday, July 31, 2008

One very expensive mowing lesson

While I enjoy playing 9 holes from time to time, I’m not a good golfer. I usually play at a local municipal course. My favorite hole is #5, a long par-5 with an expansive fairway that’s pretty difficult to miss. Even by me.

But I miss it on occasion nevertheless, and, a couple of years ago, darn near took out the windshield of an approaching Buick with a wicked slice. The driver of the car, I’m pretty sure, never realized what a close call he had. Now I wait until no cars or trucks are approaching before I tee off on #5.

That memory came to mind as I read a recent article in the Vineland (NJ) Daily Journal.

The article reported on the $725,000 settlement of a lawsuit brought by a motorist who was injured when a golf ball flew through his car window. The ball was launched not by a golfer but by a commercial mower during the routine maintenance of a nearby residential lawn.

The court ruled that the homeowner and the mowing company shared some of the blame for the plaintiff’s injuries because they should have surveyed the lawn and removed the ball before allowing the mowing. They were ordered to pay $37,500 each. The golf and country club got rocked for $650,000 because it did not have netting in place to keep golf balls from leaving its property.

Click on the headline to read the article. — Ron Hall

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