Usually golfers are supposed to watch out for rogue balls while hitting the links, not falling trees. Unfortunately for 71 year-old David Hamaker, he was killed when a tree on the 17th hold of Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort in Palm Springs fell on him while he was sitting in a golf cart. Hamaker spent eight days in the hospital before passing away last Spring. His family has now filed a California wrongful death lawsuit against the golf course as well as the city of Palm Springs.

GolfWeek reports that the lawsuit alleges negligence on the part of the course for failing to properly maintain the trees on the golf course.

Wrongful death lawsuits can take many forms and serious injuries and deaths as a result of dangerous property conditions are common. Here, the family is filing their wrongful death suit on the legal theory of premises liability. What exactly does that mean in plain English? It means that they are claiming that the golf course is at fault for a falling tree on their property since Hamaker was a paying guest of the property. The amount of money that a family can receive from a successful wrongful death premises liability lawsuit can be substantial depending on the nature of the injury or death and who the defendant is.

Here, not only was there a death but Hamaker also spent over a week in the hospital with serious and painful injuries before he died. All of these things and more help to factor into how much money his family could potentially receive if they are successful in their golf course wrongful death lawsuit.

Dealing with the death of a loved one is painful and can also be confusing. Filing a wrongful death lawsuit (and in this case a survivor action as well for the time he spent alive in the hospital) can help provide a sense of justice in holding the other party accountable and aid in the financial stress that accompanies a sudden death. If you are looking for free legal help following a California personal injury, start with our free consultation designed to answer all of your questions and learn more about how we can help. We are available 24/7 so do not hesitate to get in touch with us today.