With summer now upon us, many people throughout Mississippi are venturing out to hit the waterways with a personal watercraft (PWC) like a Sea-Doo or Wave Runner. Many people use personal watercrafts for recreation and to stay cool. Most PWC enthusiasts are careful, conscientious and follow safe waterway practices and safety laws. Unfortunately, there are others for whom drinking and recreational watersports go hand in hand. Someone operating a PWC in Mississippi is subject to the same laws regarding driving under the influence (DUI) as a person driving a passenger vehicle on Mississippi roadways. In reality, a person driving PWC while under the influence of alcohol potentially poses an even greater risk than someone who is driving a car while intoxicated because are less responsive. The danger of suffering a serious injury in a personal watercraft accident is also magnified by the fact that people in the water may be less visible.
Alcohol and Personal Watercrafts Are a Dangerous Mix
Our personal watercraft personal injury attorneys at Barrett Law believe that those who cause injury to others because they are operating a PWC while under the influence of alcohol deserve to be held accountable and that accident victims deserve to be compensated for their injuries. Our experienced team of Mississippi recreational watersport accident lawyers carefully investigates the facts and circumstances of Sea-Doo or WaveRunner accidents so that we can develop the best possible litigation strategy. We frequently utilize toxicological experts who are able to testify regarding the impact alcohol would have had on the defendant’s ability to maneuver their PWC safely. We also carefully monitor criminal DUI cases involving intoxicated PWC operators because the developments and outcome of that case can often be used to strengthen a personal injury lawsuit against a negligent PWC user who commits DUI while engaged in recreational watersport activity.
How Drunken PWC, Sea-Doo and WaveRunner Accidents Occur
We handle all types of personal watercraft accidents and injuries involving intoxicated operators in Mississippi including:
- Collisions with other PWCs or boats
- Drowning accidents
- Injuries caused by running over someone in the water
- Boating or PWC accidents that occur when a watercraft collides with a stationary object
- Boating or personal watercraft accidents involving a boat that flips over or capsizes
- Propeller mutilation accidents
Serious boating or PWC accidents often result in catastrophic injury or wrongful death. If you are involved in a boating, WaveRunner or Sea-Doo accident in Mississippi, you may suffer traumatic brain injury, propeller mutilation, loss of a limb or even a fatal drowning. When these types of serious injuries are caused by a boat driver or PWC operator who is under the influence of alcohol or driving carelessly, you may be entitled to compensation, including but not limited to medical expenses, lost wages, future lost income, pain and suffering, loss of consortium (loss of companionship and services of a spouse), property loss and funeral or burial expenses in wrongful death cases. If the careless Sea-Doo or WaveRunner operator who causes your injuries is guilty of DUI, this will also typically justify punitive damages to punish their egregious conduct and to discourage such conduct in the future.
It is never advisable to operate any form of motor vehicle while intoxicated. While alcohol impairs driving ability under the best circumstances, safe operation of a PWC is more difficult then safely driving a passenger car. Passenger cars are extremely responsive to steering adjustments and braking. Personal watercrafts do not share the same ease of handling so any diminished ability to respond quickly and exercise good decision-making when driving a boat can have tragic results. If someone is operating a boat while under the influence of alcohol, they may exhibit the following diminished abilities:
- Slow reaction times
- Impaired judgment
- Lack of coordination
- Faulty assessment of one’s own ability
- Inability to properly judge speed and distance
- Diminished visual sharpness
When you or someone you love is involved in an alcohol-related PWC accident, a day of relaxation and fun can become a tragedy in the blink of an eye. Drunken personal watercraft accidents in Mississippi are particularly tragic because they are completely avoidable. At Barrett Law, our experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyers represent injury victims throughout Mississippi. Our law firm has roots that reach back 75 years so contact us today for your free initial consultation at (662) 834-2376 to see how we can help.
