A federal jury has ordered marine engine and boat builder Brunswick
Corp. to pay $3.8 million to a man who lost part of his leg after it
came in contact with a sterndrive propeller on Lake Austin.
Jurors determined April 5 that Brunswick was partially liable
for the 2005 injury to Jacob Brochtrup, who was 18 when he lost part of
his leg while wakeboarding with friends behind a 17.5-foot Sea Ray boat
equipped with a 135 hp MerCruiser sterndrive.
Brochtrup said he had jumped into the water to grab a tow
line when the driver put the boat in reverse. The propeller caught the
top of Brochtrup’s right leg.
The lawsuit claimed Brunswick did not have safety devices,
including guards and covers, to prevent Brochtrup from becoming tangled
or stuck in the spinning propeller.
Brunswick officials said in a statement that they are
sympathetic to Brochtrup but “stand behind our products, which are used
safely and properly by boaters around the world.”
The company said it has filed an appeal.
Brochtrup’s attorney, Robby Alden, said the verdict marks the
first successful case against the boating industry by a person injured
by a motor. A 2002 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court allowed such cases
to go forward, and boat makers had prevailed in two similar lawsuits
involving older-model boats.
