Lawsuit Filed Against Multiple Parties in Parasailing Death
The husband of a 33-year-old woman who was killed in a parasailing accident has named more defendants to the lawsuit. Initially, the suit had been filed against the parasailing company that offered the excursion. Now, the resort where the incident occurred and the captain of the boat on which the accident occurred have also been named in the lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit, the woman was parasailing with her son and nephew when the parasail “pegged”—meaning that the wind took over control of the parasail. The captain tried to cut the line in order to prevent injury but ended up dragging the three parties for at least 10 minutes. Eventually, the woman struck a bridge. The two children who were with her escaped with minor injuries, but now have the traumatic memory of the death of their aunt and mother.
Understanding parasailing accidents
More than 3 million people go parasailing each year. A parachute-like is fixed to the back of a motorboat, lifting the parasailers into the air. Accidents related to parasailing are rare, but when they do occur, they can cause severe and traumatic injury, even death as in the case mentioned above. Over the past 30 years, there have been around 1800 injuries and deaths related to parasailing. When accidents do occur, it is almost always the result of some failure of the parasailing company to safeguard the experience. In other words, parasailing is not intrinsically dangerous. People are injured due to negligence.
Why do parasailing accidents occur?
Parasailing accidents causing injury or death occur for a variety of reasons. In most cases, there is negligence on the part of the parasailing company that is offering the experience to customers. These include both mechanical failures and safety failures. These can include:
- Collisions with boats or stationary objects – The operator of the boat is expected to operate the boat in a safe area. In the case mentioned above, the victim struck a bridge and was killed instantly. Collisions with boats or stationary objects are often fatal since the boat is traveling at a fast speed and the parasailer is in a vulnerable position.
- Harness failure – A failure of the harness can result in the parasailer being ejected from the parasail. Even if the parasailer only strikes the water, they can suffer severe injury. A failure of the harness would fall on the negligence of the boat operator.
- A weak towline – When a towline snaps, parasailers can be lost in the wind. Their momentum could carry them into another boat, a bridge, or a tree. Even if they only strike the water, the forces involved are extreme. The failure of the towline would fall on the negligence of the company offering the excursion.
- Weather conditions – It would be unwise for a parasailing company to offer parasailing on an excessively windy day or during a storm. In these cases, the company must exercise discretion. In the case mentioned above, they are alleged to have not exercised discretion.
Talk to a Tampa, FL Personal Injury Lawyer Today
Florin Gray represents the interests of Tampa residents who have been injured in boating or parasailing accidents. Call our Tampa personal injury lawyers today to schedule a free consultation and we can begin discussing your allegations immediately.
