A largely unknown risk of riding personal water crafts like the one shown here relates to falling off the back of the craft.
If riders of these jet skis are not wearing wet-suits or other protective clothing and they fall off the back, they can suffer serious internal injuries from the personal water craft's jet propulsion. The water stream created by the craft can thrust water into the person's orifices, causing devastating injuries.Manufacturers like Polaris, Sea Doo and Kawasaki have known about this danger for years. In response, they starting placing warning labels warning of "orifice injuries" on the back of these products (in tiny print) and in owner's manuals since about 2002. But these warnings just aren't effective. First, they often aren't read - especially by passengers who are likely to be on the back of these personal water crafts. Second, if they are read, the odds of a passenger having a wet-suit handy are slim.
So what should the manufacturer's do? I'll discuss that issue in my next blog entry.
If you have questions about a personal water craft or jet ski injury, contact a Minnesota product liabilty lawyer like me, Nate Bjerke, of Champion Law LLC at 651.766.5886.
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