Please Insure the Toys

Last month, we wrote about golf carts. At the time, the message felt timely because golf carts are everywhere now. They are in neighborhoods, at the lake, around campsites, and of course, on golf courses. They feel fun, simple, and harmless. This week, that message feels a little more personal to me.

A friend came to me after her sweet 14-year-old daughter was injured while riding on a golf cart with a friend. The friend was driving, the cart tipped, and the girls were shocked by the damage that happened in just a few seconds. Her daughter’s foot was badly injured. She is going to need multiple surgeries to repair both the break in her foot and the fragile skin that was damaged. Thankfully, she is going to be okay, but there is a long road ahead.

Like many parents would, her family started asking questions.

• How is this covered?

• Whose insurance responds?

• Do we need to lawyer up?

Those are terrible questions to have to ask while you are also worrying about your child.

Then, in the same week, my mom called and told me my cousin’s daughter needed prayers. She is 13 and had been in a severe ATV accident. Her friend was driving too fast, lost control, and my cousin’s daughter went through the windshield. Her nose was badly damaged. She will need surgery to be able to breathe properly again and will likely need several rounds of plastic surgery to repair her beautiful face. She and the friend who was driving were both knocked unconscious. Miraculously, there is no brain damage. That is the blessing, but it is also the reminder. These things that we call “toys” are not toys when something goes wrong.

Golf Carts, ATVs, Side-by-Sides, and Other Toys Can Cause Very Real Injuries

I know this is not the fun insurance message. Nobody wants to think about their child, grandchild, niece, nephew, or neighbor getting hurt on something that was supposed to be harmless. Nobody wants to imagine a quick ride turning into surgery, medical bills, missed school, pain, and legal questions but that is exactly why we have to talk about it.

Golf carts, ATVs, side-by-sides, dirt bikes, and similar recreational vehicles are often treated casually. They are driven by kids. They are driven by friends. They are borrowed at the lake. They are used in neighborhoods. They are taken around private property. They are used at farms, campgrounds, and hunting land. Because they feel casual, people often assume the insurance is casual too. They assume their homeowners policy will cover it. They assume the other family’s policy will cover it. They assume medical insurance will handle it. They assume that because it was an accident, everyone will just understand. Sometimes some of that may be true. Sometimes it may not be true at all.

The Insurance Question Is Usually More Complicated Than People Expect

When someone gets hurt on a golf cart or ATV, there may be several different policies that could come into play. There may be homeowners insurance, auto insurance, recreational vehicle coverage, health insurance, umbrella coverage, or no applicable coverage in certain situations.

The answer can depend on what type of vehicle it was, who owned it, who was driving, where it was being used, whether it was street legal, whether it was modified, whether permission was given, and what the policy actually says.

That is why it is so dangerous to assume.

It is also why it is important to call your insurance agent before there is an accident, not after.

After an accident, we are all trying to sort through coverage while emotions are high, medical decisions are being made, and families are scared. Before an accident, we can calmly look at the situation and ask better questions.

“Do We Need to Lawyer Up?” Is Not the Question Anyone Wants to Ask

Most families do not want to sue their friends. Most people do not want to turn a tragic accident into a legal fight. When injuries are serious, medical bills are large, and a child needs surgery, families naturally start asking what they are supposed to do. They want to know who is responsible. They want to know what insurance is available. They want to know how their child’s care will be paid for. That is not greed. That is fear, responsibility, and reality colliding.

Good insurance does not prevent the accident, but it can make the aftermath less financially devastating. It can give families a place to start. It can provide liability protection if you are responsible for someone else’s injuries. It can help protect your assets. It can help reduce the panic that comes after a terrible phone call.

Please Do Not Assume Your “Toy” Is Covered

This is my plea: If you own a golf cart, ATV, side-by-side, dirt bike, or any other recreational vehicle, please do not assume it is covered correctly.

Please do not assume your homeowners policy automatically takes care of it.

Please do not assume your umbrella automatically follows it.

Please do not assume that because it is only used around the neighborhood, only used on private land, or only driven once in a while, it is no big deal.

A vehicle does not have to be going highway speeds to cause a life-changing injury. A child does not have to be doing something reckless for something terrible to happen. A quick ride can become a claim, a surgery, a lawsuit, or a lifelong scar in seconds.

This Is Not About Selling Fear

I do not want people to live scared but I do want people to live prepared. I still want kids to have fun. I still want families to enjoy the lake, the farm, the campground, the course, and the neighborhood. I still want people to make memories. I just also want them to understand that fun things still need responsible decisions attached to them. That means helmets. That means seatbelts when available. That means age-appropriate drivers. That means safe speeds. That means clear rules. And yes, that means insurance.

Let Us Review It Before Something Happens

If you own any recreational vehicle, call your insurance agent and ask how it is covered.

• Ask what happens if someone else gets hurt.

• Ask what happens if your child is driving.

• Ask what happens if another child is a passenger.

• Ask what happens if it is used off your property.

• Ask what happens if it is used on a road.

• Ask what happens if someone borrows it.

• Ask what happens if the person injured is a friend, neighbor, or family member.

These are not dramatic questions. They are responsible questions. After the week I have heard about, I am asking you as both an insurance agent and a parent: please insure the toys. They may feel small. They may feel harmless. They may feel like no big deal. But when something goes wrong, the injuries, the bills, and the questions can be very big. At Shepherd Insurance Group, we guide. You decide.