After the horrific death of singing sensation Usher’s stepson from a tragic Jet Ski crash early in July, an investigation is ongoing to determine whether charged should be filed. Kile Glover’s parents, Usher’s ex-wife Tameka Foster and Atlanta TV executive Ryan Glover, agreed to take the child off life support 21 days after he was seriously injured and declared brain dead. The accident occurred when a family friend, 38-year-old Jeffrey S. Hubbard, was riding a jet ski and hit an inner tube being pulled by a boat. Inside the inner tube were Usher’s 11-year-old stepson Kile Glover and an unrelated 15-year-old girl. The girl suffered a broken arm and a laceration to the head, but her current condition is unknown.
The tube was reportedly tethered to a pontoon boat and being pulled when the Jet Ski stuck the tube, giving both children serious head injuries. Glover was rescued by two Good Samaritans and the teenage girl was saved by two DNR rangers. In its investigation, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has ruled out alcohol as a contributor in the accident. It has been suggested by the DNR that Hubbard could be charged for violating the 100-foot rule, which required vehicles to run at an idle speed if coming within 100 feet of person or property. The DNR is attempting to recreate the accident to help determine what happened and aid in assessing possible charges.
As the summer continues, serious boating accidents continue to pile up in Lake Lanier and elsewhere in the Southeast. Boating accidents are often caused by boating under the influence (BUI), operator negligence or recklessness, driver inexperience, equipment failure, and failure to yield. In 2011, the United States Coast Guard reported 4604 accidents that led to 758 deaths, 3081 injuries, and approximately $52.2 million dollars of damage to property as a result of recreational boating accidents.
Have you been involved in a Jet Ski or other boating accident? If so, you may be entitled to file a lawsuit against those determined to be liable for the accident. Many boating accidents are caused by the error or inexperience of the vehicle’s operator, and some lead to long-lasting and debilitating injuries. To learn about your legal options after a boating accident, do not hesitate to fill out the simple form on the right for a free case review.
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