Seattle Duck Boat Crash Verdict
It is not just Boston that sees wrongful death brought upon by negligently operated duck boats. Seattle in September 2015 experienced an unspeakable tragedy when a duck boat vehicle crashed into a bus full of people. Five people were killed and 60 people were injured as a result.
The jury decided the manufacturer, of the amphibious vehicle, Ride The Ducks International, was 67-70% responsible, and the duck boat company, Ride The Ducks of Seattle, was 30-33% responsible for the crash.
Apparently there was a design flaw found concerning the front axle which the manufacturer warned about, but apparently the duck boat operators did not heed this warning.
Here in Boston, there is a thriving tourism industry, and duck boats in Boston carry thousands of tourists each year. Duck boat operators should take this Seattle verdict very seriously and do everything they can to avoid accidents.
It is hard to forget the terrible tragedy in April 2016 in which a Boston duck boat crashed into the rear of a scooter, killing the driver of the scooter. It is also hard to forget the Missouri duck boat tragedy of 2018 on which 17 people were horrifically killed when the duck boat capsized in a lake during a storm.
Since these converted motor vehicles are so large they can cause great damage when negligently operated. Manufacturers, suppliers, duck boat tour companions and drivers, must carefully follow all possible safety rules in order to prevent these accidents from happening.
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