Lawsuit against Liquid Force and competition style vests

ScarletArrowScarletArrow Posts: 798 Crazy Baller
Will this have an impact on manufacturers ability or willingness to make competition style vests?

Link 1

Link 2
Anthony Warren


  • LoopSkiLoopSki Posts: 486 Crazy Baller
    it's too bad a young man had to lose his life, but you can't fix stupid.
  • ScottScottScottScott Posts: 784 Crazy Baller
    @loopski I"m not sure where the "stupid" part comes in, especially regarding 2 families that lost a child.

    I can't say this is the case in either of these cases, but I'm sure there are a lot of casual boaters that aren't aware of the existence of non coast guard approved vests intended specifically for skiing.
  • LoopSkiLoopSki Posts: 486 Crazy Baller
    people need to have some common sense and accountability if they are going to participate any type of activity that has inherent dangers.
  • LoopSkiLoopSki Posts: 486 Crazy Baller
    is this not enough? its pretty clear to me. not only is it written on the garment,

    they are obviously thinner. I'm no genius, got a couple years of community college under my belt. I can figure it out. My kids all wear type III and i take the risk with my non approved. I never use it on public lakes though. Only at home on our ski lake.

    Plus , last time I checked , tubing was not a tournament event . Not yet at least!

  • LobonatorLobonator Posts: 62 Baller
    Just like how ski manufacturers have warning/liability releases printed on the graphics on skis, the disclaimer that is on required every comp vest, releases liquid force from having legal issue.

    Only thing I could see as an issue is the merchandising at the retail store, where the retailer could potentially get dinged.
  • ToddLToddL Posts: 2,787 Mega Baller
    edited June 7
    The pervasiveness of these warnings has desensitized the general public to them.

    Heck, I've never actually fully read the one on the vests until just now. What's next? Will the buyer have to show their USAWS membership card before buying one? Hey! Membership problem solved!
    You're welcome, @JeffSurdej ! LOL. JK
    -- The future of skiing depends upon welcoming novice skiers regardless of age to our sport.
  • gregygregy Posts: 2,547 Mega Baller
    edited June 7
    If you read the claim. The kid was on a tube and got knocked unconscious when he was thrown off. He sank and was not found until the next day. Not sure I've every had vest that didn't float me and I'm pretty lean. Last two vest were Stokes and Camaro and they both have good flotation. The worst I've had an old eagle vest. I keep it around because it perfect with a wetsuit.

    Says it was a Liquid force. Has anyone had a vest that would allow them to sink to the bottom.
  • ToddLToddL Posts: 2,787 Mega Baller
    I have often wondered why there isn't something just below USCGA that competitive skiers would embrace. I'd buy something with just a little more flotation in the upper chest to help improve the probability of a face up floating position. I don't think that would get in the way of proper slalom movements and posture. Categorize them as a CompPlus vest. No claims of anything, but still added flotation where it counts.

    So many vests already have built in 6-pack construction, why not pecks, too. LOL.
  • DragoDrago Posts: 1,484 Mega Baller
    The 1st claim was dismissed. I got impatient and didn't finish reading the second one, but i think the non-CG approved vest is not under threat.
  • BraceMakerBraceMaker Posts: 3,507 Mega Baller
    If you open the lawsuit the claim is that the vest was purchased by the friend's father, who allegedly purchased a more expensive product thinking it was better.

    The suit was mostly aimed at the retailer claiming that positioning of the items together lead them to believe in its safety.

    That's where it gets hard to know, is that an honest mistake of an uninformed shopper? Did the kid like watersports and pick that vest for vanity?

    We can all agree the lawsuit should be against tubers.

  • oldjeepoldjeep Posts: 3,378 Mega Baller
    edited June 7
    I'd venture to guess that at least 50% of the people that buy those things have no idea that they are not USCG and pretty much unsafe as an actual life saving device. They don't float decently and they are too easy to peel off in a crash. The 2 big local ski shops carry mostly "Comp" vests for both wakeboarding, surfing and skiing and their stock of normal USCG jackets is dismal.
    Chuck P
    Not a mechanic but I play one at home
  • LeonLLeonL Posts: 2,321 Crazy Baller
    edited June 7
    I'm not gonna read the legalese, but to claim that any comp vest would fail to float a person seems a bit absurd. As for floating a person in a face up position, probably not. I'm just not buying the claim that anyone could totally sink while wearing a comp style vest.
    Leon Leonard Stillwater Lake KY - SR Driver SR Judge
  • oldjeepoldjeep Posts: 3,378 Mega Baller
    edited June 7
    @LeonL - let me introduce you to my father inlaw some time. 130lbs (maybe) without a bit of fat. Those silly comp vests don't make him float. Now your average 220lb chubby guy, sure - because they are providing a lot of their own flotation. Pretty easy for me to believe that a fit kid could sink in one.
    Chuck P
    Not a mechanic but I play one at home
  • skierjpskierjp Posts: 715 Crazy Baller
    And everyone complains about the high cost of equipment and boats. Gee, go figure!!!
  • Than_BoganThan_Bogan Posts: 6,353 Mega Baller
    @ToddL has a really important (if obvious :smile:) point regarding what I sometimes call Over Warning Syndrome. As a result, I almost completely ignore warnings unless it's something that I am really unfamiliar with. But even then it's frustrating. A couple years back, I bought my first chainsaw and I had rather little experience using one, so I actually sat and read through the booklet. There was some very useful information buried in there, but it was agonizing reading through all the direly-worded liability-protection verbiage to get to the actual information!

    I truly think we're making the world more dangerous with O.W.S.. When the world is plastered in warnings, you can't see the ones that you actually need to pay attention to.
    Nathaniel Bogan -- GUT Padawan
  • A_BA_B Posts: 4,053 Mega Baller
    It looks like Link 1 was the dismissal of charges from Link 2.

    The suit says not properly marked or they were confusing. I guess the guy can sing but not read.

    We always had the tubers wear USCG approved vests on the tubes. Crazy stuff happens and they all want to go higher and faster. I remember about 40-years ago cracking the whip on a tube and I shredded one of those old white vinyl jackets. We laughed when we read the label that said impact resistant to 50 mph.

    Many in America always want to blame someone else for their mistakes. This is just one of those.
  • dislanddisland Posts: 1,291 Mega Baller
    In the Navy we used the Navy issue kapok life jacket. This is the only type that will save your life if you are knocked unconscious, period.

    Dave Island- Princeton Lakes
  • Than_BoganThan_Bogan Posts: 6,353 Mega Baller
    @disland. Very true. But just out of curiosity, is that guy a super-hero of some sort? He seems to be able to hover in mid air?
    Nathaniel Bogan -- GUT Padawan
  • dvskierdvskier Posts: 456 Crazy Baller
    @Than_Bogan He's straddling the mooring lines.
  • dave2balldave2ball Posts: 569 Crazy Baller
    edited June 7
    This is a very sad case. There are many things that are not mentioned. Such as was the person face down? If he was face down in the water unconscious it is very unlikely a CGA vest would of made a difference. Did the vest fit him correctly? May people who wear this type of vest don’t understand that they will loosen up in the water. Was the vest on him when the body was found?
    This is a tragic accident. I would say can’t fix stupid really doesn’t apply in this case.
  • ScarletArrowScarletArrow Posts: 798 Crazy Baller
    It's my understanding the tube flipped over with the rider on it.

    The rider was knocked unconscious, sank and drowned.

    My assumption is that the vest actually came off.

    The basis for my assumption is my own experience, in a major crash almost two years ago my vest came almost completely unzipped as I laid face-down unconscious in the water.

    Are the new style competition vests safe enough?

    As skiers, we generally don't like tubers because they mess up the water, but really most are just reckless and have no idea the danger that is posed when whipping someone (usually a child) at a high rate of speed.

    Water skiing has inherent risk to it, but it's generally done in a controlled environment.

    The contradiction of tubing is that while it's the easiest, it's likely to be the most dangerous.

    Solution - take your kids kneeboarding.

    You can still buy your 200k boat, but it's much safer.
    Anthony Warren
  • Chef23Chef23 Posts: 5,895 Mega Baller
    @ToddL Eagle makes a vest with more flotation and good mobility. We have a couple of them around the house that my kids out grew.

    It is a tragedy but if the kid was knocked unconscious it is on the driver. I am amazed at how fast I see people whipping tubes around.
    Mark Shaffer
  • lpskierlpskier Posts: 2,471 Mega Baller
    I used to wear a pull-over best until it came up over my head and arms in a high impact fall. When I needed it most it was there the least. Last time I wore that one.
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