JET SKI ACCIDENTS ON THE RISE - WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?
THE INCREASING NUMBER OF DEATHS AND CATASTROPHIC INJURY
It’s summertime and more and more, emergency officials are responding to jet ski accidents throughout the United States. On July 13, 2008, emergency officials from Louisville and Howard’s Creek, Ohio responded to an accident involving at least one jet ski on the Ohio river.
On June 15, 2008, another teenager was killed on the Colorado River in Colorado when her jet ski collided with another personal water craft on the river. Over the last ten years, usage of jet skis have enjoyed a surge of popularity, adding to a growing danger on our nation's waterways. Today there are over 1 million personal water craft vessels in use in America and on average approximately 5,000 jet ski accidents occur each year resulting in 2,600 injuries in over 72 deaths. The laws relating to the operation of jet skis and the manufacture of jet skis are exceedingly complex and require an intensive knowledge of products liability, state and federal laws governing boating accidents, as well as maritime and international waterway laws.
The personal injury attorneys in Pennsylvania at the law firm of Reiff and Bily help victims recover compensation for injuries suffered in boating and jet ski accidents. At the Reiff and Bily law firm, our experience with the investigation and litigation of recreational boating and jet ski claims can give you an advantage in establishing liability against the responsible party. Common injuries associated with jet ski accidents include but are not limited to head and brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, burn injuries, hyperthermia and of course, drowning. Unfortunately, it is a fact that many inexperienced boaters are allowed to operate jet skis and personal water craft in U.S. waterways. Just think how easy it is for you to go and rent a jet ski by just presenting your credit card. The usage of the jet ski by inexperienced boaters places the lives of themselves as well as countless other people in jeopardy by reckless conduct. Along with this risk comes a host of problems related to intoxicated boaters and drunk driving accidents, collisions with other boats, water intrusion injuries, collisions with docks, piers, shorelines and swimmers and other serious injuries.
Also, jet skis or personal water craft may suffer from design defects which play a factor in causing a serious accident. If a boat or other water craft is designed or manufactured improperly, you may have a claim against the manufacturer, designer or distributor. The Philadelphia defective product attorneys of Reiff and Bily have 30 years experience with a national reputation handling product liability matters against negligent designers and manufacturers. Approximately 10 years ago, I was involved in a jet ski accident caused by the negligent operation by an inexperienced operator at a resort facility, as well as an improper design defect of the jet ski.
I was vacationing at a resort hotel, presented my credit card and rented a jet ski for approximately an hour with my young son on the back. Another renter sought to race me and came very close and cut the turn wide and collided with my vessel. My son and I were both thrown from the vessel and sustained injuries. I learned that the other operator was intoxicated while operating the jet ski and came out of nowhere to hit our vessel while making a sharp turn. In addition to operating the vessel while intoxicated, the other operator was also operating a personal motor craft under the space limitations of another vehicle according to local law. My firsthand experience in a jet ski accident, as well as my 40 year history operating vessels as a sailor and motorboat operator made me recognize just how unsafe jet skis and personal water craft may be in the hands of an uneducated and intoxicated driver. There is hardly a day that goes by in the summer where a Google search will not reveal a jet ski or personal water craft operation on one of the lakes, rivers or oceans of our country.
One of our knowledgeable staff members was recently involved with the very successful litigation of a jet ski accident where an individual was being towed behind a motor boat on a tube when a jet ski crossed over the tow line causing the tube to be violently thrown into the air and landing on the throttle lever of the jet ski, impaling her anally. Additionally, she sustained multiple fractures and a torn sphincter muscle requiring a permanent colostomy. The case successfully resolved against the jet ski operator, the sponsor of the trip, the motorboat operator and the jet ski manufacturer.
If you have suffered asphyxiation due to being knocked into the water by someone who was boating while intoxicated, you have suffered spinal injuries in a jet ski accident or a loved one was a drowning victim owing to his/her vessel capsizing or sustained brain injuries in Pennsylvania due to another person’s accident or negligence, we can help. At the Pennsylvania personal injury law firm of Reiff and Bily, we have 30 years of experience providing hands on attention to victims who have been seriously injured or lost loved ones due to the careless acts of another person or due to the negligence in the manufacturing process. The Pennsylvania personal injury lawyers at Reiff and Bily work on a contingent fee basis charging a small percentage of the recovery. They will not get paid one cent unless there is a successful recovery on your behalf. They have handled thousands of personal injury cases and have successfully recovered in excess of $150,000,000 from their opponents for physical injuries and emotional damages.
If you are in need of an attorney because you or someone you love has sustained serious injury as a result of a personal water craft or jet ski accident, please call the experienced Pennsylvania vehicle and personal injury lawyers at the law firm of Reiff and Bily.
