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When a stray golf ball hits a car in Texas, who pays?

54 5
22.10.2025

A golfer picks up his ball marker during the final round of the Houston Open golf tournament in 2022 in Houston. Under Texas law, you can be liable for hitting a passing car only if you are negligent and breach your duty of care, causing foreseeable harm with actual damages.

Q: While playing golf, if I hit a golf ball so poorly that it hits a car passing by on a roadway, am I liable for damages to that car or the passengers in it? Could the golf course be held liable?

A: Under Texas law, you can be liable for hitting a passing car only if you are negligent and breach your duty of care, causing foreseeable harm with actual damages.

Hitting a golf ball poorly doesn't automatically amount to negligence. A bad shot is different than intentionally aiming toward the roadway. For instance, you may decide to........

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