Lawsuit against boat manufacturer

[HS]

With that many people in the bow, my guess is that at least a few would be sitting on the gunnels or ahead of the seats on the small deck; then with the driver turning around to retrieve a rider and (guessing again) riding over his own wake, even at the slow speed cited in the article, would cause someone sitting where they shouldn't be to lose balance and fall in. In otherwords, a foreseeable consequence of bad driving habits.

The 20% split he got just tells you the award flowed to the deep pockets...

[mnwild2]

The Great Recession nearly wiped out Malibu and MC wasn't far behind. If they have to pay $30 million in damages, I see a bankruptcy filing coming.

My wife wants an MC PS197 TT Edition, and they are the tops in sales for Tournament Boats, I think they need a new corporate lawyer, want to move to Venore, TN.?

[ers906]

If you really want to become frustrated with the stupidity of America, read the comments on the bottom of the articles that are in the links.
1. People cannot seem to understand that even one beer can delay response time by a split second, which is all it takes for disaster to occur on the water (that being said, I do have a couple of beers throughout the day when I ride, so I am not trying to sound high and mighty). If you are going to drink, you need to realize and accept the consequences, even if you were not legally "drunk"
2. People who do not own boats have no idea how inherently dangerous is can be to drive one, even if you are below capacity, if you are running heavy ballast. I typically run about 800# in the bow, and am an experienced driver, and still only have a couple of inches of clearance between the water and the gunnel. If I can, I will have everyone sit behind me, if not, then I adjust the ballast accordingly. If the driver turned into chop with 12 people (low estimate of 1600#, because if you have ever been in central california, not likley to have 12 100# girls with you, more likely the 1-2 that you invite that are good looking, and their ten friends that all have "great personalities") in the front, good luck in any style boat, much less a pickle fork.
3. What happened to the responsibility of the passengers on the boat? Not that they deserved to be hurt, but it doesnt take a rocket scientist to realize riding that way is not safe. I wish they would have released their BAC levels, (once again not saying that they deserved it, but personal responsibility is a thing of the past in this country and in the legal system)
4. The article states that MC took two different hulls and combined them without running the proper tests for safety. Now I do not particularly care for MCs for a variety of reasons, but does that sound right to anyone? a 80K$ boat and they just slapped it together? I am calling bullsh*t on this one. The defense lawyer hasnt commented most likely because of the massive appeal that they have planned. At least during the appeal process it will (I believe at least) be presented to a panel of judges, not random jurors whom just want to blame a nameless corporation.

I have no doubt that this judgement will be overturned, but it still is a sad state of affairs

[tdc_worm]

i am just going to throw this out there:

i suspect that 12 people in the bow is either misprint or misinformation. unless they were all toddlers i cannot see a way for 12 people to voluntarily fit in the bow.

as for swamping, i have no doubt that design is capable of it with just a few people in the bow.

[AirTool]

It is amazing that talked about this "blink-of-an-eye" event for 49 days plus deliberation.

Then add to that the appeals.

[SkiTower]

i am just going to throw this out there:

i suspect that 12 people in the bow is either misprint or misinformation. unless they were all toddlers i cannot see a way for 12 people to voluntarily fit in the bow.

what's the matter, never been to college? Or did they not have phone booths or VW bugs?

[swc5150]

Wait, isn't the famous youtube video of a guy submarining his boat on a power turn an old MC? I know it wasn't a picklefork bow, but I think it is a MC. Maybe it's just something about MCs!

Seriously though, if this verdict stands, will MC even survive? The Great Recession nearly wiped out Malibu and MC wasn't far behind. If they have to pay $30 million in damages, I see a bankruptcy filing coming.

It's a current hull 197...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68AOltMu768

[WakeSlayer]

what's the matter, never been to college? Or did they not have phone booths or VW bugs?

Ha.

No doubt in my mind they had 12 people up there. Easy. Couple beers, couple bottles of suntan lotion. Everyone sorta slips together. All fun and games til some dummy can't drive his boat properly.

[actman]

New warning sticker?

I would think we will now start to see warning stickers in our boats about the number of passengers allowed
in the front of a bowrider. I'm sure when they design a boat and give it a capacity of people based on weight they are not expecting all those people to be sitting together in one spot. Alot of accidents come down to common sense. I can't really say I played all that safe when I was there age having fun with my friends. I don't feel the driver drinking had anything to do with the accident. However he is the one in control and should have not allowed as many passengers in the boat sitting up front. I really can't see blaming the boat manufacture. The boat was over-loaded and the passengers were not being safe at all. On our lake I see people at the back of boats sitting and hanging on to the rails as friends take turns surfing out the back. It would not take much for one of them to loose there balance and bounce out of the boat. They are just having fun and trying to create a big wake but the safty factor is lost!
I think I will just stick to slalom skiing where I only have a max of 3 people in the boat and I tell them to sit down and be still!

[tdc_worm]

what's the matter, never been to college? Or did they not have phone booths or VW bugs?

hahaha, funny you should ask. West Point is almost all dudes, and even if it wasnt frowned upon to begin with, the logistics of 12 dudes in a phone booth didnt appeal to us....

[swc5150]

Something no one has mentioned yet: This dude is lucky he didn't run over another boat too! How in the heck could this driver see with 12 people stacked up in front of him?! When we had our PS 205, I wouldn't even let one person sit in front of me when I was driving. There's just so much stupid in this verdict that MC is taking it on the chin for!

[HS]

Another thing about the article that struck me as odd was that they mentioned putting everyone into the bow to enhance the wake, some weight I understand, but most of the crew??

Also, is the pickle fork design prone to excessive listing becasue of how the bow is splayed open to two points unlike a single point in a traditional bow??

[Kenv]

Some of the articles stated they were all...Yes 12..up front not to enhance the wake...but because the boat wasn't planing. Also it did state that some were sitting on the gunnels. They would probably have to be sitting on the edge to fit that many. Terrible accident, but it is not THE BOAT'S fault.....or the company that built the boat. The boat doens't have a brain....the driver and passengers do. An accident is an accident...nothing more...nothing less.

[Chexi]

I think stating that that driver and those passengers have a brain is overstating things a bit.

Maybe the boat wasn't planing because they had too many people / too much weight in it....

I know hindsight is 20:20, but a little foresight every know and then is a good idea.

Also, 12 isn't all. I've read 19 or 20 total passengers.

[Kenv]

Chexi..I was just restating to a post that 12 up front wasn't a mis- print. I did see where there was 19 total in the boat...and one behind boarding for a total of 20 that went out in the boat. Two OVER the recommended. Common sense could have prevailed...but didn't. I hate seeing or reading about any accident involving boats because it involves something that I have loved doing since I was a child. Now I have kids of my own and try to teach them common sense and water safety for now and in the future when they are on their own. I would hope they remember 10-12 years from now that dad told them NOT to sit on the side/gunnel/back of the boat while underway and try not to put yourself in a potentially dangerous overcrowded position.