Personal Watercraft Accidents – What You Should Know

To many, Florida is considered the boating capital of the United States because of its thousand miles of shoreline and picturesque inland waterways. In Florida, thousands of people take to the water daily on their personal water craft (also known as Jet skis, SeaDoos or WaveRunners), along with thousands of conventional boat operators.  However, personal watercraft, although exciting, can cause serious and life-changing injuries if operated by those lacking experience and common sense. In Florida, there are more than 120,000 registered personal watercraft. Operators as young as 14 years old can legally operate a personal watercraft in Florida.

A personal watercraft operates like a motorcycle in many respects, but also dissimilar in many ways. Personal watercraft (“PWC”) are small, easy to maneuver and extremely fast, many models capable of reaching speeds of 65 mph. Many believe that they are simple and easy to operate. Personal watercraft, although operated on the water, are just as dangerous as motorcycles when not operated safely.

In a study conducted by the University of Florida, PWC accidents have been found to cause far greater injuries than accidents involving boats. Case in point, the recent personal watercraft accident of hip-hop singer, Sean Kingston, who crashed into a Miami, Florida bridge with a female passenger. The U.F. study found out that riders involved in Waverunner and Jetski accidents sustain more closed-head injuries, spinal injuries and more chest and abdomen injuries than boat passengers involved in accidents.

Most PWC injuries are caused when an operator or passenger is thrown off the vessel at high speeds. PWC’s cause more injuries because of the absence of seatbelts that can hold down the rider. When riders meet an accident on the water, they are usually ejected from the PWC and run the risk of colliding with the next stationary object, whether it is the water, a bridge as in the Sean Kingston accident or another vessel.

PWC operators and passengers alike also suffer from orifice injuries.  Orifice injuries occur when the rider of a personal watercraft falls off the rear of the vessel and lands in the path of the personal watercraft’s extreme high pressure jet of water, which propels the personal watercraft. When an operator, or a passenger, is ejected from the vessel and lands in the path of the jet, the force, or thrust of water, is so strong that it pushes a large amount of water into the rider’s orifices, such as a woman’s vagina or anus. The extremely high-pressure jet thrust can cause severe mutilating and disfiguring injuries, or even death.

In order to avoid accidents such serious injuries when operating a PWC, or when a passenger, here are some important tips to remember:

1.  You should read the owner’s manual so that you understand the control system and the features of the vehicles.

2.  Before operating a PWC, enroll in a personal watercraft safety course.

3.  Try to gain on-the-water experience with your PWC in an area free from other PWCs and boats.

4.  Wear suitable safety equipment, such as a lifejacket, whistle, and cellular phone in a waterproof bag. Operators and passengers alike should wear wet suits to avoid, or lessen, orifice injuries.

5.  You should never try to operate the vehicle without the engine-cut off lanyard attached to your body, which will cut off the engine if you should fall off.

6.  Maintain a safe distance between you and other vessels. Remember that a PWC takes more than 300 feet to go from 60 mph to stop. Also, remember that you lose steering capability if you let off the throttle. Keep a sharp lookout for other boats and PWC’s in your area. You should also familiarize yourself with the body of water you are, to avoid rocks, mangroves, sandbars, weeds, etc.

7. Never, never, operate a PWC if you have been drinking alcohol or have used any drugs.  If you use prescription medications, make sure that they do not compromise your ability to operate the vessel safely.

8. Never loan your PWC (whether a WaveRunner, Jetski or SeaDoo) to an inexperienced operator.
Following these eight tips may just save the life of you, or your passenger.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is general information provided to you “as is”, it does not constitute legal advice and the author is not acting as your attorney. No claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, or adequacy of the information contained in, or linked to this article or website, and its associated sites.

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Timothy C. Nies leads a firm's personal injury, maritime injury, civil litigation, and commercial litigation practice groups. He has spent the past 10 years, first defending well-funded insurance companies and large corporations in complex personal injury cases. If you you are looking for a reputable Florida boating accident attorney, talk to a Florida boat accident lawyer at Van Riper & Nies Attorneys, P.A. today!

Personal Injury Attorneys in West Palm Beach

"Justice is the firm and continuous desire to render to everyone that which is due".

Experienced,  proactive and compassionate, Van Riper Nies trial attorneys are committed to protecting your rights.

Van Riper & Nies Attorneys, P.A., a military veteran-owned law firm, represents individuals and families in Palm Beach county who have suffered an injury, or lost loved ones, due to the carelessness or recklessness of others.  We leave no stone unturned in the prosecution of injury claims for our clients.

We are a unique law firm. Our partner, Tim Nies, is a U.S. military veteran and a proud lifetime member of the Disabled American Veterans.  When serving as an Airborne Ranger with the Army's 75th Ranger Regiment, he sustained a line-of-duty knee injury during a parachute mission. He had to work every day to rehabilitate his knee; however, the injury ultimately caused his medical discharge from the U.S. Army. Tim, more than most injury lawyers, understands how it feels to suffer from and overcome a life-changing injury. Tim feels lucky because excellent Army and VA physicians took care of him, and were able to help him rehabilitate his knee. Many civilians injured today are not so lucky. After his military service, Tim began his attorney career defending personal injury cases for insurance companies and large corporations, including Fortune 500 companies. He was a senior Casualty Attorney for Marshall Dennehey, the largest, and arguably, the most respected insurance defense law firm in the world, with more than 450 attorneys.

Partner, Christian Van Riper, is a polished and talented trial attorney. For years after law school, where he graduated at the top of his class, Christian prosectuted and tried serious felony and DUI cases for the State of Florida as an Assistant State Attorney. Prior to that, he was a Law Clerk for the Florida Supreme Court, which is an honor very few law students and attorneys are selected for, and prior to that an investigator for Florida's Department of Children and Families.

The work and life experiences of our attorneys afford our law firm unique and valuable insight into the lives and struggles of our injured clients, how their cases are defended by insurance company lawyers, and trial experience.

Our past experience litigating for insurance companies gives us credibility with the insurance companies, and our knowledge of how insurance companies evaluate and value cases proves effective during the pendency of cases, at mediation and at trial.

Tim and Christian, cousins who have known each other most of their lives, work all personal injury cases as an effective trial team.  This approach benefits our clients on two levels. First, both Tim and Christian are extremely familiar with the details of our clients’ cases and are able to collaborate to effectively come up with a litigation and trial plan. Second, our clients are able to speak with an attorney about their cases at any time of the day and night.  We are known for the personal attention we are able to provide to our clients. We are available for our clients day and night.

Our attorneys represent clients in all personal injury matters, including:

-         Automobile accidents,

-         Truck accidents,

-         Motorcycle accidents,

-         Boating accidents,

-         Personal watercraft injuries,

-         Premises liability claims,

-         Slip and falls

-         Trip and falls,

-         Dog and animal bite claims,

-         Electrical injury claims,

-         Inadequate/negligent security,

-         Construction site accidents,

-         Swimming pool injuries and drownings,

-         Dangerous product claims,

-         Longshore & Harbor Workers Compensation Act claims,

-         Defense Base Act claims,

-         Cruise ship passenger injuries,

-         Crime victim injuries,

-         Wrongful death claims

-         Back and neck injury claims

-         Brain injury claims

All our personal injury cases are taken on a contingency fee basis, meaning we do not take a fee or charge any costs unless we win.



For more information about on personal injury attorneys in west palm beach , please call us at 561-962-3130, complete the contact form below, or e-mail our Personal Injury Department Chair, Tim Nies, at tim@vanriperandnies.com.

We answer the phones day and night.