Jet Skis are Popular, Fun, and Dangerous to Users and Others
Jet skis, also called personal watercraft (PWC), are small and fast. Like any other kind of motorized transportation or recreation vehicle, when things go wrong, injuries or deaths can result. They must be operated with great respect for their power and speed, especially when other boaters and swimmers are around. Too often, they’re used as large, powerful toys without regard to others, and injuries result.
Satterley & Kelley PLLC represents people injured by personal watercraft and families of those killed by them. Negligent actions by operators can turn a fun day on the water into a living nightmare you’ll never forget.
How Many Personal Watercraft are There?
About 100 million Americans go boating every year, and about 11.9% of the country’s population owns a recreational boat (which is about 14.5 million people), according to Quicknav. Boat Brands states there are more than 12.5 million boats registered in the US. There are more than a million PWCs in use, according to Boat US Foundation.
How Often are PWCs Involved in Accidents?
The US Coast Guard (USCG) reports that in 2023, there were 43,844 boating accidents, resulting in 564 deaths and 2,126 injuries. PWCs are involved in 19% of known boating accidents, reports the National Safe Boating Council.
Of the 995 known PWC accidents that year, there were 527 injuries and 47 deaths (15 drownings and 32 deaths by other causes). The most common types of PWC accidents were the following:
- Collision with another recreational watercraft (614)
- Ejected from vessel (89)
- Collision with fixed object (64)
- Falling overboard (46)
The USCG states the most common causes were the following:
- Operator inexperience (183)
- Operator inattention (179)
- Excessive speed (167)
- Improper lookout (157)
These causes show that PWC accident-related injuries and deaths were the result of preventable accidents. People who are too inexperienced to operate a PWC safely aren’t forced to use them. Excessive speed doesn’t just happen. They’re the results of operator mistakes, which, depending on the circumstances, may be the result of negligence that could be the basis of an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit.
What are Situations Where PWC Accidents Happen?
Given how common PWCs are and how easily accidents may occur, it should be no surprise that many injuries and deaths happen.
A 12-year-old from Louisville was killed in a PWC accident last year, according to WDRB. He was with a friend’s family at the time, in a tube pulled by a boat. The friend’s father operated a PWC. He was distracted and didn’t see that the boat turned in front of him. His PWC struck the boy, causing head injuries. The boy died by drowning.
Collisions with other PWCs are a common problem, given the following incidents:
- Luis Guevara, a 19-year-old minor league baseball player in the Baltimore Orioles’ system, died in June after a PWC crash in Sarasota, Florida, reports Cleveland.com. Guevara was one of four people involved and one of two who were hospitalized. They were on one PWC, which collided head-on with another
- A Mississippi teen was killed over Memorial Day Weekend in another instance of PWCs colliding, reports WLOX. The incident happened in Mississippi near the Tennessee border
- A June head-on collision of two PWCs off Lido Key in Florida sent two people to a hospital, according to WTVT, and caused minor injuries to two others. Sarasota County Fire Department officials quoted by the station suggest all those on PWCs must pay attention to what’s going on, wear a life jacket and helmet, given the high speed at which an operator or passenger could hit the water
If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a PWC accident, a prompt and thorough investigation can be the difference between obtaining fair compensation or not. If you retain Satterley & Kelley PLLC as soon as possible after the accident, we can start putting together key evidence for your case.
Speak To a Louisville Accident Attorney Near You
Whether a PWC accident happened in Kentucky or out of state, we can be your boots on the ground if you or a family member were injured or killed. Call us at 855-385-9532, locally 502-589-5600, or contact us online to arrange a free initial consultation with a Satterley & Kelley PLLC lawyer.