If a person was injured or killed as a result of a manufacturing or design defect, the injured person or the families of those killed have the right to seek compensation and other forms of redress in a suit against the manufacturer of the boat.
Defective Design: Boat Propeller Accidents
It happens in an instant. A passenger can fall overboard or a scuba diver may be surfacing at just the wrong time and falls into the path of a boat propeller with devastating results. Severe cuts and other traumatic injuries occur when a person is struck by the motor or propeller system of a speedboat, jetski, or other watercraft. However, most propeller deaths and injuries can be avoided with existing and readily available propeller design changes.
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) estimates that in an average year, approximately 200 to 250 non-fatal injuries and an additional 25 - 35 deaths are reported as a result of a person being struck by the propeller and/or propulsion unit of their boat. The USCG and other agencies for boating safety state that user awareness and training is just one aspect needed to prevent propeller injuries and deaths. Improved propeller avoidance technology, such as propeller guards, propeller shields, propulsion, interlocks and sensors, can make a larger impact in preventing injury and death from motor or propeller strikes.
Legal Rights of the Injured
The law in most states provides individuals with legal claims and the right to compensation for injuries they suffer as a result of a defective product or the negligence of another. The injured person may file a lawsuit seeking compensation for his or her pain and suffering, medical expenses, lost past and future wages and punitive damages.
Contact Personal Injury Attorney | Lawyer
If you have been injured as a result of the negligence or another, please click here to contact an experienced personal injury attorney at the national law firm of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP.