Boat Maker Sues Injured Man's Relatives
Last updated Thursday, October 2, 2008 1:31 PM CDT in News
By The Morning News
FAYETTEVILLE -- A boat maker has sued relatives and friends of a man injured in an accident on Beaver Lake, claiming their actions were negligent and they should be held responsible for their share of the damages.
Aaron Matthew Holleb, a Texas resident, claims he was thrown from the front of a boat when it struck a submerged obstruction near the U.S. 412 bridge on Aug. 2, 2001. The boat then ran over him.
Holleb, who was 20 at the time, sustained severe injuries when he was struck by the boat's propeller. His left arm was almost severed and he had extensive injuries, according to his suit in state court.
A federal version of the lawsuit against the Army Corps of Engineers was settled out of court.
In a third-party lawsuit filed Wednesday, Seaark Marine, formerly Monark of Arkansas, sued Donald Priest, the owner of the boat, and Priest's step-grandson, Justin Nicholas Williams, who was driving the boat at the time of the accident.
The suit contends that Williams was operating the boat at excessive speeds in an area he was unfamiliar with and that he failed to shut the boat down in a timely manner after Holleb was ejected. Williams also allowed Holleb to occupy an area of the boat that was unsafe, and Williams could not see hazards in the water in front of the boat from where he was operating the craft.
Priest was negligent in relinquishing full possession and control of the boat to people with insufficient experience and without first appraising them of how the boat should be operated.
Any damages awarded should be apportioned and damages against Seaark reduced by an appropriate amount to reflect the amount of liability, according to the suit.
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