Stepson of Recording Artist Usher Critically Injured in Personal Watercraft Accident, Dies from Injuries

By Grant Law Office on July 26, 2012

An 11-year-old boy, the stepson of musical artist Usher, suffered serious injuries in a Georgia child injury accident involving a rented personal watercraft. According to a news report in The Peachtree Corners Patch, the personal watercraft accident occurred on Lake Lanier. Officials say the 11-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl were being towed on an inner tube by a boat when a man ran them over in his rented watercraft. The boy is in critical condition and has been declared brain dead. After 21 days of the young boy being unconscious, the parents made the difficult decision to take him off life support. The girl suffered a cut on her head and a broken arm. No charges have been filed in connection with this incident.

Under current Georgia law, people renting watercrafts are not required to complete a safety course. It is unclear if additional training or renting restrictions could have prevented this tragic accident.

According to the 2011 Recreational Boating Statistics as reported by the United States Coast Guard, there were 4,588 boating accidents resulting in 758 deaths and 3,081 injuries. Tragically, 15 of the fatally injured victims in the year 2011 were under age 13. For every 100,000 registered recreational vessels, 6.2 people were killed. Eight out of every 10 boaters who drowned were using vessels that were under 21 feet in length and 84 percent of the fatally injured victims were not wearing a life jacket. Motorboats were involved in 47 percent of all reported accidents, followed by personal watercrafts with 19 percent.

The family of a deceased boating accident victim can protect their legal rights and best interests by contacting an experienced personal injury attorney. Financial compensation may be available for their terrible losses. The skilled Atlanta wrongful death attorneys at The Law Offices of Wayne Grant, P.C., serve all of Georgia. If you or a loved one has been injured in an Atlanta accident, please contact us at (404) 995-3955 for a free consultation.