teen leg stuck in prop

AlastairJohn · Jun 30, 2011

I hope she survives - let alone walks again. I have heard of horror stories in South Africa of children killed waterskiing on a river called the Breede.
Horrendous stuff.

Ross · Jun 30, 2011

Those props can be placed in cages. In Maine I have seen props protected with heavy metal skids to avoid damage from rocks.

Merlin Clark · Jun 30, 2011

kd3pc said:
I realize we are mostly sailboaters, but having been around powerboats, jet boats, jet skis, drag cars....HOW does this continue to happen again and again...?? The last lawsuit with this nailed the boat manufacturer, how many more lawsuits before builders simply quit building to avoid the liability payouts for people being STUPID, CARELESS, UNCONCERNED or what ever is going on to allow this...

Thoughts?

Unless an obvious manufacturing flaw causes an accident there is no way the boat manufacturer can really be at fault. But it seems that many things that happen in the legal system have little to do with reality.
I have big problems with people not taking responsibility for consequences of thier actions.

KMm · Jun 30, 2011

Thats the problem with many power boaters, all you need to know is how to turn a key and how to push the throttle forward. When will it stop, When hell freezes over. Hope she is ok.

zeehag · Jun 30, 2011

reminds me of a felame who sued and won mcdonalds with hot coffee in her lap--like it was mcdonalds fault coffee was hot and their fault she put it into her lap..idjits everywhere and cause prices to sky rocket due to frivolous lawsuits. too bad the parents had to sacrifice the kid. that wasnt cool. hope she isnt permanently messed up.

kpgraci · Jun 30, 2011

zeehag said:
reminds me of a felame who sued and won mcdonalds with hot coffee in her lap--

Except in this case I don't blam the girl..a 12-13 year old does NOT know better...but the adults...parents or whoever was supposed to be WATCHING the kids (they need wathcing) is at fault. Of course, accidents do happen.

If the boat mfg loses a law suit over this I say pity us, as if it not obviious we're tipping the scale already.

Sad case.

Mike1956 · Jun 30, 2011

A couple of years ago there was a very bad accident on the lake where I sail. A teenaged boy was sitting on the front of a rented pontoon boat and fell off as the boat was motoring, going between the pontoons. His injuries were critical, he survived, but I don't think the lawsuits have been settled yet.

Imagine putting a piece of meat into a blender

petersea · Jul 1, 2011

Boat operator error. Engine should have been OFF. Anytime anyone is in water near the boat (reguardless of power or sail ) Shut down the engine ! Hope she recovers..........

kloudie1 · Jul 1, 2011

Tragic.. We had an incident on Lake Pontchartrain a year or so back with two deaths.. Boat stopped so everyone (4 or 5) could swim and cool off.. One got back in the boat then on the way back into the water, snagged the shift/throttle and threw it almost full on, forward.. That person was hit immediately and was killed and one more in the water was hit as the boat circled.. again, engine running with swimmers near.. Not good.

FourPoints · Jul 1, 2011

Ross said:
Those props can be placed in cages. In Maine I have seen props protected with heavy metal skids to avoid damage from rocks.

The tour boat I hopped on a few years back to get to Sting Ray City in Grand Caymen had that too, and I just happened to get a picture.

Hope the girl is OK, but I don't see how it's anyone but the operator's fault that the engine was running...

FastOlson · Jul 1, 2011

zeehag said:
reminds me of a felame who sued and won mcdonalds with hot coffee in her lap--like it was mcdonalds fault coffee was hot and their fault she put it into her lap..idjits everywhere and cause prices to sky rocket due to frivolous lawsuits. too bad the parents had to sacrifice the kid. that wasnt cool. hope she isnt permanently messed up.

Lack of safe operating procedure for power boats is a totally different issue, and a serious one involving operator liability. Sometimes it seems like a large percentage of powerboats are bought by people who could have been extras in the movie "Idiocracy."

Also: You need to read up on that actual McDonalds case before you repeat this twisted version of the case. Nothing "frivilous" about that suit at all.

Lots of sources of actual facts available -- Here's just one:
http://www.vanosteen.com/mcdonalds-coffee-lawsuit.htm

Fair winds.

John · Jul 1, 2011

Interesting

FastOlson said:
Lack of safe operating procedure for power boats is a totally different issue, and a serious one involving operator liability. Sometimes it seems like a large percentage of powerboats are bought by people who could have been extras in the movie "Idiocracy."

Also: You need to read up on that actual McDonalds case before you repeat this twisted version of the case. Nothing "frivilous" about that suit at all.

Lots of sources of actual facts available -- Here's just one:
http://www.vanosteen.com/mcdonalds-coffee-lawsuit.htm

Fair winds.

Interesting article. Remember: These were 12 people probably pretty similar to many of us, with one big difference: They were there and heard all the testimony. We weren't and we didn't. I remember I once went to a lawyer after I'd chipped a tooth on a rock that was in a bag of beans I cooked, but I only went to the lawyer after the company refused to pay my dental bill. That was all I was asking for. After I went to the lawyer, I got several times that amount. I figured it served them right for being so tight in the first place.

Ross · Jul 1, 2011

John said:
Interesting article. Remember: These were 12 people probably pretty similar to many of us, with one big difference: They were there and heard all the testimony. We weren't and we didn't. I remember I once went to a lawyer after I'd chipped a tooth on a rock that was in a bag of beans I cooked, but I only went to the lawyer after the company refused to pay my dental bill. That was all I was asking for. After I went to the lawyer, I got several times that amount. I figured it served them right for being so tight in the first place.

I am surprized that you got anything. The bag carries a very clearly worded statement concerning the need to inspect the product before cooking. I grew up learning to inspect the beans and to wash them before they were cooked. Reading the directions would have saved your tooth and a lot of time.

zeehag · Jul 2, 2011

mcdonalds-- SHE CHOSE to put the coffee between her legs in HER car and then spillled it-- frivolous. yes.
mcdonalds didnt put the coffee between her legs. ROFL. FRIVOLOUS YES.

MitchM · Jul 2, 2011

the law in most states is section 402A of t he restatement of the law of torts: "whoever sells a product in a defecitve condition unreasonably dangerous to users or consumers is liable for all harm caused thereby..'. the question is whether an unguarded prop is 'unreasonably dangerous..' a little more detail would help: why was the operator running the boat in gear if people could be in t he water? did the girl fall in ? was she waterkiing or teak surfing ? seems to me that the danger of a rotating prop (like a sharp knife) is obvious to anyone old enough to drive a boat. . on my boat i have a shaftshark cutter to cut fishing line and seaweed . the unit came with multiple stick on warning labels: " warning this ropecutter is razor sharp. avoid contact..' which i duly applied to the prop strut suppport.. it's always sad to ehar of someone's child being seriously injured but i seriously doubt the vicitm can successfully sue the propeller/boat manufacturer.. now the operator of the boat: that is another story..

woodster · Jul 2, 2011

after reading this artical i havent read where the prop was turnig or the engine was on and it makes me wonder if she may have just gotten caught in the prop and couldnt get loose....has anyone seen an update on this....it did state that they were going to cut the prop in order to free her up.....

regards

woody

teen leg stuck in prop

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