Articles Posted in Boating Accidents

With warmer weather, everyone is taking to the water whenever they get a chance. For Boston, that may mean learning to sail at the Community Boating, Inc. on the Charles River Esplanade. Or for those interested in getting a workout, traveling up the Charles to Community Rowing. Some will rent or go out on a friend’s powerboat docked around the greater Boston Area.

While boating can be a lot of fun, it can also be dangerous. According to a recent news report from My Fox Boston, a woman suffered a serious personal injury in a boating accident in Boston Harbor and suffered amputation of her arm.

Witnesses say the female victim fell overboard and landed in the water. Her arm hit the propeller, which was spinning at the time she fell into the water, and it cut off her arm. The victim was 19-years-old. The accident occurred just before 8 p.m.
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Colombo v. BRP US, Inc., an appeal from the California Court of Appeal, involved plaintiffs who went jet skiing. The group consisted of two sisters who went to help a third sister move into a new apartment. The sister who was moving had a boyfriend whose roommate operated personal watercraft for a local company.

Boyfriend wanted to reward the two sisters for helping his girlfriend move and arranged to meet them at a store and then take them to ride the personal watercraft (PWCs). He loaded two PWCs onto a trailer, met them at the store, and took them to the bay to ride. Both sisters wore two-piece bathing suits. Nobody in the group was wearing a wetsuit.

After putting on a life vest, plaintiffs waded into the water and met defendant. Both plaintiffs got on the back of PWC with defendant sitting in the operator’s seat. He did not give them any instructions. Plaintiff testified that she had no intention of driving the PWC herself and did not have any idea how PWCs worked and how fast water exited the jet-thrust nozzle underneath. She also did not see any labels under the handlebars or on the console that warned of severe injury that could occur as a result of falling into the water near the nozzles.
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In McCormick v. Chippewa, Inc., the plaintiff was working on an Alaskan commercial fishing boat when he injured his back pushing a net reel. He was given an over-the-counter pain medicine as the sole treatment for his injuries. Later that same evening, he went to bed, and, due to rough seas, he fell out his bed and hit the floor. When he hit the floor, he hit his head and suffered further injury to his back, according to court records.

The following day, the plaintiff stated he was dizzy from the fall and in more back pain than he had been the day before. He was eventually treated for his injuries at a medical facility in Anchorage.

He filed a personal injury lawsuit against the boat owner and captain, alleging negligence in the operation of the boat both in causing his injury and in failing to treat his injury properly after it occurred.

Boating accidents in Boston and elsewhere are likely, especially during this time of the year!

According to New England officials, a 41-year-old father and his two children, 5- and 3-years-old, were in a pretty serious accident in a New Hampshire lake. The Boston Globe reports that the father throttled up the motor and shifted his weight. The boat listed heavily and ejected him.

The father was injured by the boat’s propeller is it circled the area. During the incident, he say that his son’s life jacket was caught on a part of the boat. He lifted the outboard motor to free him. He was also able to get his daughter off of the boat before it sank. A pontoon boat that was passing by was able to swoop in for the rescue. According to officials, the outboard motor was never intended for a craft of that size.

Our Massachusetts boating accident attorneys understand that boating is getting more and more dangerous. Nationwide, the number of boating fatalities remains high. Accident and injury stats are up there, too. In 2006, about 70 percent of the more than 700 boaters who were killed in accidents were on vessels captained by those with no formal boating training. Many of these accidents were caused by excessive speed, recklessness and operator inattention. The most common cause of boating accidents is alcohol. Alcohol-impaired drivers account for about 20 percent of those involved in fatal boating accidents.

These are all extremely common happenings in the New England area, too. Accidents have been all too common in the recent months, since we’ve had such warm weather. Residents and visitors are flocking to the water and enjoying the summer season to the fullest.

In 2008, there were nearly 15 people who were killed in boating accidents in the state of Massachusetts. That’s up from the 9 fatalities recorded in 2007. None of these accident victims were wearing a life jacket.

“Probably half the boaters don’t have a clue what they’re doing,” said Tommy Gardner of Weymouth, captain of a 46-foot SeaRay. “It’s every time you go out. You just have to fend for yourself.”

Our state has close to 1,500 miles of coastline, hundreds of lakes and ponds, four major river systems and the Quabbin Reservoir. If recreational boating is your thing, Massachusetts is the place to be. But be careful, there are about 100 officials with the Massachusetts Environmental Police (MSP) that are patrolling our waterways from the Berkshires to Cape Cod.

“There is never enough,” said Captain George Agganis with the MSP. “Our numbers really need to increase on coastal areas.”

To help to keep boaters safe, officials with the MSP recommend that all boaters under the age of 12 to wear a personal flotation device. Just like driving a car, you’ve got to keep safety as a top priority when in a boat.
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Authorities urge boaters to stay safe on the water as the Fourth of July holiday ushers in the height of the summer boating season.

We have reported on our Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog that it has been a particularly deadly season for Massachusetts boating accidents. By the first week of June, six fatal Massachusetts boating accidents had been reported this year, compared to 10 during all of last year. So far, 21 people have died in accidents off the coast of Massachusetts in 2010.

The National Safe Boating Council is encouraging boaters to wear life jackets and stay safe on the water during the upcoming holiday weekend.

“Boating is a big part of Independence Day celebrations,” said Virgil Chambers, executive director of the National Safe Boating Council. “The Fourth of July weekend may be one of the only days some people get on a boat the entire summer, and it’s even more important that every boat operator remembers to share the ‘Wear It!’ message.”

Drowning is the cause of death in about 90 percent of all recreational boating accidents.

ABC40 reports that Massachusetts Environmental Police will be teaming up with state police and local law enforcement to crack down on drunk boating over the holiday. The effort is part of “Operation Dry Water Weekend,” which is occurring along coastal areas nationwide.

“We are out conducting patrols looking for people that are under the influence,” said Sergeant Scott Amati of the Mass. Environmental Police.

The enforcement effort will also be a chance for authorities to conduct safety checks and help boaters better understand what they need to know to stay safe on the water.

Boat Massachusetts provides additional information on boating laws and boater responsibilities.
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