Case Study
A wayward shot results in a 4-year legal wrangle for huge compensation, and Home Insurance premiums to soar.
Playing at a Golf Club near Aberdeen around 4 years ago, A golfer was searching for his ball in the trees when he encountered a man holding his face, apparently struck by his ball. After checking the man was alright, the golfer thought little more about it. All of 12 months later a letter (like his ball) came right out of the blue - a law firm informing him he was on the wrong end of a compensation claim from the gentleman in the trees.
With some relief, our golfer discovered his home insurers would take his case. A whole year of wrangling later, he was summoned to attend court. He openly admitted to being aware of other golfers on the course, but did not shout "fore" and was deemed negligent. After 4 years of worry, his insurers paid many thousands of pounds in costs and compensation, and his premiums have increased accordingly.
The Golf Expert Says
"Where a player perceives that their ball is in danger of hitting another they should shout 'fore' - but the key question is whether there's a real risk of injuring another when the shot is taken. Shouting 'fore' in such a case would not avoid liability for negligence"
The Law Expert Says
"When these cases go to court it can be very expensive. Your insurance premium will go up if you lose, in some cases quite dramatically. That’s where a specialist policy can be very useful. They are tailormade for golf so they cover claims without you having to see your home insurance premium shoot up."