Something to think about
 

How many times have you had someone ask you to PLEASE take them for a ride, Becuase
I have always wanted to ride in a boat
I love the water and it would be so fun
ETC,ETC

So what happens if something goes wrong and you have an accident. There is always the possibility that you were going a a pretty good speed since who wants to just putt around in a high performance boat any way.

Well what if it turns out that if said passenger gets a broken leg?

Attorney: How much insurance do you have?
Boatowner: $500k more then enough to cover hospital bills and injury claims

Attorney: Good we will take that, What kind of umbrella policy do you have? also how are you going to take care of my client in the future if his leg bothers him again and he needs more care.

Boatowner: WTF Isn't that what the $500k is for. No i don't have an umbrella policy.

Attorney: nope. what other assets do you have?

Boatowner: not much everything else has been taken by the ex wife the only thing i even own now is my Harley.

Attorney: Okay you need to deliver the harley with title to this address and have a nice day.

Boatowner's Attorney: You were going at a high speed and it is in your best interest to settle than let it drag out in court.

Moral to story. don't take people for rides or have a ****load of insurance plus an umbrella policy.

I see where your coming from but the same thing could happen to you if you gave them a ride home in your car or on your harely and got in an accident....you can never have enough insurance for some people...

Holy Crap!!!
Is this a personal experience??

Yes, but is was in a car

But it got me thinking how the same thing can happen in a boat.

It happens more than you would think. Years ago a customer of mine got *uc*ed like that. Pretty much the same story but he had more to lose.

you should have to sign a waiver at birth.. "life is dangerous, you could be seriously hurt crippled or killed at anytime..if you feel the risks are too great..please climb back inside" whats next?? you sneezed within 30 feet fo me...I caught a cold..you are responsible for 1 week lost wages and 3.5 million in pain and suffer, after all you KNEW colds are contagious yet you willfully made the choice to risk infecting me without my knowledge or consent.

If you don't know them run over them twice!!

WOW.
That's a real eye opener.
I can't say I even have that much to lose, but very scary none the less.
Man, I'm feeling for you.
It's a shame what this world has come to.

H2O , do you remember member 'Supercrewjohn' on Hotboat ? He went for a test ride on a new stepped hull Hallett , and all of them got tossed out in a bad turn . He's got screws in his leg , hence the name . I wondered if he sued or not ?
You better watch out also when towing someone , you could be liable if some chit happens . Way back , there was a story in "Boating' mag about a boater giving a hand to someone broken down , must have pulled a little fast and the cleat ripped out of the boat , subsequently hitting the guy in the face on the forward deck . He got sued . Also best not to use your own rope in this case !

Imagine getting in a boat for a test ride and the driver is wearing a life vest and does not offer you one. You don't think anything of it and get in. Next thing you know your getting plucked out of the water and your going to the hospital.

That sells man learned a few hard lessons that day.

I agree 100% What happens when you have a country thats run by lawyers.................. surely they wouldn't do anything to raise their fees. And were like a bunch of donkeys taking it right up the arse as we watch, its hopeless. Only now the oil and insurance companies are getting in on it so its like a triple WAMMY.

That's why I don't take clowns for rides. You always wanted to ride in one? Get a better job, these things aren't cheap and I don't think you can afford it on a butchers salary. I take friends, close friends and that's it. And when they come down the dock with some hotties that really want to go for a ride we take a quick idle back past the reeds if you know what I mean.

My keep my boats in an LLC just in case. And that's still little protection just another layer.

I get asked for rides all the time - from people just walking up on the dock. Those suckers can sue for tripping getting into the boat. I always say no way. Makes you look like a dick - but then again I usually am a dick so its ok.

Example:

I was in a Velocity (I think it was the 35'/36')with the late Hurley Stepp at the wheel during the 1994 Miami Boat Show. There was also two military contractors (people who outfit boats for the armed services) on board. I was in the middle bolster in the back seat, and one of the contractors was in the front stand up bolster.

We crossed a large Sport Fishing boat wake at probably 75+ mph. I knew we weren't going to land very nice so I braced myself but the non-experienced boater (the military contractor) in the front seat was thrown into the cabin door when the boat landed. It was a very violent landing. The contractor acted as if he were OK, but I could he was pretty banged up, as well as the interior of the boat was now damaged too.

The demo ride example in post #10, reminded me of this with the Miami Boat show just around the corner. The slogan alwasy was " buyer beware, but with this thread it could become "seller beware - someone could sue you for an unforeseen persoanl injury when they were on your boat."

Or in h20 toie's experience "good guys can't win."

And you know, I'd really like to take some of these people for a ride - I used to do it all the time. Maybe turn someone else on to the sport. F'em now.
Then again, now-a-days, I'm usually a dick too.
You're not alone.

I have a million dollar umbrella along with the regular boat insuarnce policy.
My mechanic and I were out, took a roller bad under the bay bridge, he had been drinking and wound up with 38 stitches in his face. he didnt sue, but it really made me think. If I have any doubt of a persons ability, i keep the sticks back, not worth the aggrevation. If they say they havent riden in a fast boat I'll give them a ride, but not a fast one, the boat is fast, not their ride. Its all about control, or the illusion thereof.

"boat"...Yea...Right....:D

Dude, you're not given up the Harley are you!? That's B.S.!!!

make sure they die and dump the body :hitfan:

Is that the car in this incident?

I don't know.... But it could be.....:(

Dan ,

I feel for you from a personal expirience about 15 years ago.
A dirt bag ex-friend crashed my car and his equally dirt bag buddy got hurt, not wearing a seat belt(s).

I had to do all types of creative protection of my assets and thank god State Farm handled it in a top notch manor.

Geez - I think I'm becoming glad I'm such a dickhead that I don't have any friends.

If you don't have insurance the other person would be lucky to even find a lawyer to take their case.

in the summer i always sit at the public beach with friends picking up girls. i dont mind giving them a ride, but never will i take them tubing or skiing. two summers ago i messed up my sholder real bad water skiing and had to have surgery, that meant a year without water skiing and snwoboarding. considering teaching snowboarding is pretty much my only form of income in the winter, im thankful im only in university and my parents support me. i could only imagine how bad it would be if somebody got hurt under my supervision and couldnt work for a year, or worse the rest of their life.

Yep that is it.

And yes i know that it could have been much worse, the Drivers compartment held up fine even though it doesnt look like it in the pic since the parts are all piled up on the seats.
He broke his leg and rib. His doctor said that leg was healing fine (two pins) but will take time to heal.

But the same thing can happen with a accident in a boat.


So be careful out there.