Author: bmazzola1

On August 11, 2018, Stephanie West, a 45-year-old resident of Leoti, Kansas, was riding as a passenger on a 2016 Kawasaki Ultra LX Jet Ski in the seat position closest to the rear of the watercraft.  The operator had begun to gradually accelerate when Ms. West slid off the seat, falling directly behind the jet ski in close proximity to the PWC’s jet thrust propulsion system.  Upon landing in the water, the powerful blast from the jet drive penetrated her lower body orifices, causing massive, mutilating injuries to her vagina, anus, perineum, rectum, colon, and other internal organs.

Ms. West was life-flighted to a nearby emergency room where she underwent life-saving medical intervention. The severity and nature of her injuries necessitated the surgical implantation of a colostomy bag.

Kawasaki is well aware of the risk of orifice injuries, as it has been sued dozens of times for orifice related injuries, dating back to 1988. Throughout this time, Kawasaki has also been well aware of the fact that safer alternative designs exist that would prevent injuries such as those sustained by Stephanie from occurring. Despite its knowledge of such alternative designs (which include a raised seatback/backrest, properly designed handholds and properly designed seat straps), Kawasaki has chosen to violate core safety engineering principles by trying to warn its way out of a design defect.  Laughery, Kenneth et al. “The Safety Hierarchy and Its Role in Safety Decisions.” www.safetyhumanfactors.org.

Ms. West is being represented by Mazzola Law Firm, PLLC. Those interested in following the West v. Kawasaki matter (or any matter referenced on this website) can check back for blog updates documenting case developments or simply subscribe to the RSS feed.

On June 16, 2018, a minor from Adkins, Texas sustained massive, internal orifice injuries when she fell off the back of a personal watercraft and came into contact with the blast of water emanating from the watercraft’s jet thrust propulsion system. At the time of the accident, 16-year-old Jayden Brewer was riding as a passenger on her uncle’s new 2018 Yamaha Waverunner EX Sport.

Shortly after the accident, which occurred on Canyon Lake in Comal County, Texas, Jayden was rushed to a nearby emergency room for life-saving medical intervention. The damage to her intestines was so severe that she was forced to undergo the surgical implantation of an ileostomy bag, and almost succumbed due to blood loss. Not unlike other orifice injury cases, neither Jayden—nor her uncle who was driving at the time of the incident—had any idea something like that could ever happen. “I would never knowingly expose my niece to that kind of risk,” her uncle said.

Yamaha is well aware of the risk of orifice injuries, as it has been sued dozens of times for orifice related injuries, dating back to 1991. Throughout this time, Yamaha has also been well aware of the fact that safer alternative designs exist that would prevent injuries such as those sustained by Jayden from occurring. Despite its knowledge of such alternative designs (which include a raised seatback/backrest, properly designed handholds and properly designed seat straps), Yamaha has chosen to violate core safety engineering principles by trying to warn its way out of a design defect.  Laughery, Kenneth et al. “The Safety Hierarchy and Its Role in Safety Decisions.” www.safetyhumanfactors.org.

Ms. Brewer is being represented by Mazzola Law Firm, PLLC. The case, styled Brewer v. Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. et al, was filed in Comal County, Texas on April 28, 2020.

Those interested in following the Brewer v. Yamaha matter (or any matter referenced on this website) can check back for blog updates documenting case developments or simply subscribe to the RSS feed.

While riding as a passenger on a Bombardier Sea Doo, 23 year old Ardelle Curran of Flower Mound, Texas fell off the back of the PWC and landed directly in the blast of water emanating from the PWC’s jet thrust propulsion system. The force of the jet blast penetrated her lower body orifices causing massive, mutilating injuries.  Ms. Curran was immediately life flighted to a nearby hospital where she underwent life saving medical intervention.

The accident occurred on Forest Lake in Forest Lake, Minnesota during a family reunion.

These horrific accidents will continue to occur—and with increased frequency due to increasingly powerful machines—so long as Bombardier, Yamaha and Kawasaki refuse to implement design modifications into their personal watercrafts that would prevent passengers from falling directly backwards into the path of the jet thrust. There is a mountain of evidence establishing Bombardier’s knowledge of the existence of safer alternative designs which would prevent injuries such as those sustained by Ms. Curran, including BRP owned patents of modified seat designs and handholds with the stated purpose of reducing the risk of rearward ejections.

Mazzola Law Firm will soon be filing suit against Bombardier Recreational Products (“BRP”) in Washington County, Minnesota.

Those interested in following the Curran v. BRP matter (or any matter referenced on this website) can check back for blog updates documenting case developments or simply subscribe to the RSS feed.

Mazzola Law Firm recently filed another PWC orifice injury lawsuit in Miami-Dade County, Florida on behalf of 27 year old Orlando resident, Yanais Acosta. Ms. Acosta sustained severe rectal and perineal injuries when she fell off the back of a Yamaha Waverunner and landed in the path of the blast of water emanating from the PWC’s jet thrust propulsion system.

She was immediately rushed by ambulance to a nearby emergency room where she received life-saving medical intervention, including the surgical implantation of a colostomy bag. The case, styled Acosta v. Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. et al, involved Yamaha’s 2015 FZS SVHO model and occurred just north of Bal Harbour, Florida at Haulover Beach Park.

Those interested in following the Acosta v. Yamaha matter (or any matter referenced on this website) can check back for blog updates documenting case developments or simply subscribe to the RSS feed. Fort Lauderdale based Sue-Ann Robinson of Robinson Caddy Law, P.A. is serving as local counsel in the case.

Mazzola Law Firm recently filed another personal watercraft orifice injury lawsuit on behalf of an 18-year-old Texas woman. On June 29, 2019, Celesta Stinson was riding as a passenger on a Sea-Doo near Rockport Beach, in Rockport, Texas when she slipped off the rear of the PWC and landed directly in the blast of water emanating from the PWC’s jet thrust propulsion system. The high-pressure stream of water caused massive, mutilating injuries to her perineum, anus, rectum and colon.

She was immediately rushed by ambulance to a nearby emergency room where she received life-saving medical intervention. The case, styled Stinson v. BRP, Inc., involved Bombardier’s 2019 RXT-X 300 model.

Those interested in following the Stinson v. BRP matter (or any matter referenced on this website) can check back for blog updates documenting case developments or simply subscribe to the RSS feed.

Mazzola Law Firm, in collaboration with Dana Kirk of the Kirk Law Firm, recently filed a products liability lawsuit on behalf of a young lady from Flower Mound, Texas who was sixteen years old at the time of the incident. While riding as a passenger on a 2017 Yamaha Waverunner, she sustained severe vaginal and rectal injuries upon falling off the back of the watercraft and coming into contact with the watercraft’s high-pressure jet thrust. Her injuries required life saving surgical intervention including the surgical implantation of a colostomy bag.

The case, styled M.M. v. Yamaha Motor Corporation et al, was filed in Denton County, Texas on December 7, 2018.

Mazzola Law Firm, in collaboration with Dana Kirk of the Kirk Law Firm, recently filed another personal watercraft orifice injury lawsuit against Yamaha Motor Corporation. Suit was filed on February 7, 2019 on behalf of an 18-year-old woman from Savannah, Georgia in connection with an accident that occurred on June 7, 2018. According to the incident report, it happened on Wassaw Sound near Savannah.

The case, styled H.P. v. Yamaha Motor Corporation, involves a 2018 Yamaha Waverunner.

On August 9, 2017, 21 year old Jessica B. of Lake Milton, Ohio sustained massive, internal orifice injuries when she fell off the back of a 2017 BRP Sea-Doo. She was immediately rushed to a nearby emergency room for life-saving surgical intervention. The accident occurred not far from her home on Lake Milton.

Jessica B. is being represented by the Mazzola Law Firm, PLLC. Further details forthcoming.

 

Mazzola Law Firm will soon be filing a PWC orifice injury lawsuit against Bombardier Recreational Products (“BRP”) in McIntosh County, Oklahoma.  The suit will be filed on behalf of the 27 year old resident of McAlester, Oklahoma that sustained massive anorectal injuries upon falling off the back of a BRP Sea-Doo. The accident occurred on July 7, 2018 on Lake Eufaula.

The severity and nature of his injuries necessitated the surgical implantation of a colostomy bag. Further details forthcoming.

 

On July 2, 2018, Tessa Fleming of Ridgewood, New York was riding as a passenger on a 2017 Bombardier Sea Doo when she suddenly and unexpectedly slid off the back of the seat. Unfortunately, and through no fault of her own, she sustained massive, debilitating injuries when she landed, with legs abducted, near the personal watercraft’s jet drive propulsion system.

The accident occurred near the Gateway National Recreation Area at the end of the Rockaways in Queens, NY.

Tessa is being represented by Mazzola Law Firm in collaboration with Michael Ronemus of Ronemus & Vilensky, LLP.