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In my last blog entry, I discussed the potential for horrific orifice injuries that can happen if a person falls off the back of a personal water craft or jet ski. People who fall off the back often land on their back with their feet up in the air, leaving themselves open to the jet thrust of water that propels these crafts. The injuries are life changing and can literally rip out a persons insides. So why do these injuries happen? Because manufacturers have ignored one of the most basic rules of product design.
THE DESIGN TRILOGY
In designing products and Minnesota product liability law, there is a long-held axiom that manufacturers must analyze the potential product for hazards. After identifying the hazards, the designer or manufacturer must then follow a three step process: 1) determine if it is feasible to eliminate the hazard by simply designing it out of the product; 2) if the hazard cannot be designed out of the product, there should be a guard installed. An example is a guard on a punch press or other industrial equipment that prevents users from getting their hands caught in dangreous areas of the machine; and 3) if it is not feasible to either design out the hazard or guard against it, the manufacturer must warn users about the hazard.
Unfortunately, many manufacturers of personal water crafts and jet skis have moved straight to the third option and left a dangerous design that allows people to fall off the back of the crafts into the jet wash. They use fine-print warnings like the one shown above.
In the next entry of this blog, I will discuss the things manufacturers of personal water craft and jet skis should be doing to eliminate this hazard.
If you have any questions about Minnesota product liability law, personal water craft lawsuits or jet ski lawsuits, visit the Champion Law web-site or call product liability attorney, Nate Bjerke, at 651.766.5886.
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