Jet Ski or Personal WaterCraft Accidents

Personal watercraft and Jet Skis are often used for recreation on East Tennessee lakes. While you may enjoy their maneuverability and speed, a Jet Ski may be dangerous if it is defective or not operated safely. There were four fatal personal watercraft incidents in Tennessee in 2014, for example, and there were 18 incidents involving personal watercraft in the same year. If you are injured in a crash caused by someone else, you may be able to recover compensation with the assistance of a boating accident lawyer. At the Hartsoe Law Firm, Maryville Jet Ski accident attorney Mark Hartsoe can evaluate the facts of your situation and represent you in a claim or lawsuit.

Personal watercraft are vessels that use an inboard motor that powers a water jet jump and that are designed to be operated by someone kneeling, standing, or sitting on the vessel. Speeding often causes Jet Ski accidents. These mishaps in Tennessee have involved a victim hitting a fixed object, falling off water skis, becoming entangled in a towline, or being hurt while surfing on the wake created by a vessel.

Injuries that may result include head and chest trauma. Sometimes riders are thrown from a Jet Ski or personal watercraft and hit another personal watercraft or another obstacle. 
If someone else caused your Jet Ski accident, you may be entitled to recover compensation. In most cases, you will need to establish another person's negligence. This means that the other person failed to use the appropriate care, and this failure was the cause of your accident. For example, if you were using a personal watercraft, and a drunken boat operator collided with you, you would likely be able to establish that they failed to use reasonable care by drinking and operating a Jet Ski, and the failure was the cause of your injuries.

Sometimes, a Jet Ski or personal watercraft may be defective, and you may have grounds for a product liability lawsuit. Manufacturers and others in the chain of distribution are supposed to make sure that the products that they put into the marketplace are safe for ordinary use. If a defective jet propeller blade detaches and cuts you while in use, for example, you may be able to seek compensation from its manufacturer. The Tennessee Products Liability Act allows numerous causes of action against a manufacturer when a defective product causes injuries, including strict liability and breach of warranty.

If liability is established, you may be able to recover compensation for pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of consortium, loss of enjoyment, scarring and disfigurement, lost earning capacity, past and future medical care, and property damage. Certain family members may be able to recover wrongful death damages, such as funeral expenses and loss of love and guidance, if they lose a loved one in a Jet Ski accident as a result of another party's wrongful or negligent conduct.

If you suffered injuries or lost a loved one during the use of a Jet Ski or personal watercraft, Maryville Jet Ski accident lawyer Mark Hartsoe can evaluate your situation and possibly represent you in a claim or lawsuit. To arrange a free consultation, call the Hartsoe Law Firm at 865-804-1011 or contact us online. Mark Hartsoe can assist people who need a watercraft injury attorney throughout East Tennessee, including in Blount, Knox, Monroe, Loudon, Jefferson, Grainger, Cocke, Campbell, Hamblen, Greene, Anderson, Cumberland, and Fentress Counties.