Second Lawsuit Filed in Fatal Parasailing Accident

The family of an Illinois mother who was killed in a parasailing accident has filed a second lawsuit naming more defendants in the case. Initially, they had filed a single lawsuit against the company that ran the parasailing excursion. The lawsuit now names the captain of the boat and the resort where the parasailing excursion was offered. The captain has since been charged with manslaughter for the death of the passenger.

According to the lawsuit, the parasail began dragging in a sudden storm. The 33-year-old mother was killed after the captain cut the line to the parasail. She, her son, and her nephew were dragged for over 10 minutes. Eventually, they hit a nearby bridge. The two children survived the incident but suffered permanent injuries, according to their attorney. The mother was killed in the collision with the bridge. The family now grieves the loss of their loved one and is seeking damages in the form of a wrongful death lawsuit against the named parties who they believe were negligent.

Elements of negligence 

Parasailing accidents occur infrequently, but when they do occur, they can often result in severe injury or death. Parasailing companies are expected to know when the weather is not conducive to parasailing and avoid booking guests on parasailing excursions in storms. The defendants will likely claim that the storm occurred suddenly and they did everything in their power to secure the safety of the guests. However, it doesn’t look good from a legal standpoint.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs are calling for stiffer regulations to ensure such accidents don’t happen again. They are advocating for better training of parasailing employees, more transparency when it comes to existing safety standards, and better attention paid to the weather to ensure that parasailing is safe. In this case, it appears that none of this happened and it resulted in the death of one guest and severe injury to two others.

Parasailing accidents 

Parasailing accidents occur infrequently and when the excursions are run properly and safely, there is little risk to guests. However, several things can go wrong. Equipment failures are the most common reasons that parasailing accidents occur. The failure of the harness or the tow line can cause severe injury to a guest even if they don’t strike another object. Striking other objects, however, is also a major risk to parasailers. They can hit other boats or stationary objects. In the case mentioned above, the guest struck a bridge. Weather conditions also play a major factor in the risk to parasailers. Parasailing should not occur on excessively windy days or in storms. Parasailing companies need to ensure the safety of their guests, so when they allow parasailing to take place under dangerous weather conditions, they incur civil and even criminal liability.

Talk to a Miami Maritime Lawyer Today 

If you’ve been injured aboard a boat, you may be able to file a lawsuit for damages. Call Miami admiralty & maritime lawyer Michael F. Guilford today to schedule a free consultation and we can discuss your injuries in more detail.

Source:

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