Boat Maker Ordered to Pay in Boating Accident

May 2, 2010, 6:00AM. By Heidi Turner

Dallas, TXA boat manufacturer was ordered by a federal jury to pay millions of dollars to a young man who lost part of his leg in a boating accident. Eighteen-year-old Jacob Brochtrup lost so much blood in the accident that he was clinically dead when he arrived at the hospital.

According to the Associated Press on 4/06/10, Brochtrup had jumped into the water to grab a towline when the driver put the boat in reverse and the propeller slashed the top of the victim's leg. The jury found boat maker Brunswick Corp partially responsible for the injury. The boat driver, who was not named in the lawsuit and will not have to pay damages, was also found liable.

Brunswick Corp. was ordered to pay $3.8 million to Brochtrup. According to the lawsuit, the boat did not have safety devices that would have prevented Brochtrup from losing his leg. The plaintiff's lawyer argued that the boating industry has long been resistant to adding propeller guards and shields.

The boat manufacturer says it stands behind its products. The jury award includes $100,000 for disfigurement and $264,000 for physical pain.

Meanwhile, a woman whose husband drowned in a boating accident has filed a lawsuit against the company responsible for servicing the boat. According to the Roanoke Times on 4/28/10, the driver of the boat lost steering and could not figure out what was wrong. The boat capsized and sank, and passenger David Reynolds drowned. Two other people on the boat were rescued.

An investigation into the accident determined that the boat's cooling system malfunctioned, allowing the boat to fill with water. The lawsuit alleges that the boat was improperly serviced because a gasket was not properly replaced.

The defendant, Shoreline Marina LLC, says it is not responsible for the accident.

A lawsuit has been filed against the companies connected to the oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of one of the men still missing after the explosion and alleges that the companies connected to the rig were negligent. The suit names as defendants Transocean Ltd and BP PLC.