Personal Watercraft Accidents Involving Minors

Personal Watercraft Can Present Unique Risks for Young Riders

Personal watercraft, including Jet Skis and similar vessels, are small, fast, and highly maneuverable. Those characteristics can make them exciting to operate, but they can also create serious risks for inexperienced riders.

A young operator may have difficulty judging speed, stopping distance, surrounding vessel traffic, or how quickly conditions on the water can change. Unlike driving a car, operating a personal watercraft also requires understanding waves, wakes, currents, navigation rules, and how the vessel responds when the throttle is released.

Personal watercraft accounted for 601 deaths and injuries in reported recreational boating incidents in 2024, the second-highest casualty total among vessel types identified by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Age and Supervision Rules Vary by State

There is no single nationwide minimum age that applies to every minor operating a personal watercraft.

States establish their own rules regarding minimum ages, boating safety education, certification, and adult supervision. Some prohibit children below a certain age from operating personal watercraft at all, while others allow younger operators if they have completed an approved boating safety course or are accompanied by an adult.

Because the rules depend on where the accident occurred, determining whether a minor was legally permitted to operate the watercraft can be an important part of an injury investigation.

Common Causes of Personal Watercraft Accidents

Accidents involving minors may result from inexperience, unsafe operation, inadequate supervision, or another boater’s actions. Common causes include:

• Excessive speed
• Sharp or unsafe turns
• Operator distraction
• Failure to maintain a proper lookout
• Following another vessel too closely
• Violating navigation rules
• Traveling too close to swimmers or docks
• Collisions with boats or other personal watercraft
• Riding in rough or hazardous water
• Defective steering or mechanical equipment
• Inadequate instruction before operation

Operator inexperience remains one of the leading known contributing factors in recreational boating accidents generally, according to Coast Guard statistics.

Vessel Owners and Adult Supervision

When a minor is operating someone else’s personal watercraft, investigators may examine why the child was allowed to use it and what supervision was provided.

A vessel owner or supervising adult may face questions if they allowed a child to operate despite knowing the child lacked the required age, training, experience, or certification. Similar concerns may arise if a minor was permitted to ride in obviously unsafe conditions or without required safety equipment.

However, an adult is not automatically responsible simply because a minor was involved. Liability depends on the applicable law and whether the adult’s own conduct contributed to the accident.

Rental Company Responsibility

Personal watercraft are frequently rented at beaches, marinas, resorts, and vacation destinations.

Rental companies may have responsibilities involving operator eligibility, safety instruction, equipment condition, and compliance with state boating laws. Because age and education requirements differ among states, rental businesses should confirm that operators meet the requirements where the vessel will be used.

A rental company may come under scrutiny if it rents a personal watercraft to someone who is legally too young, fails to provide required instruction, or supplies a vessel with a known mechanical problem.

The circumstances of the rental and the applicable state requirements determine whether the company may be responsible.

Other Boaters May Cause the Accident

A minor operating or riding on a personal watercraft is not necessarily responsible when an accident occurs.

Another vessel operator may have been speeding, distracted, intoxicated, or violating navigation rules. A larger boat may create a dangerous wake, make an unsafe turn, or fail to see the personal watercraft altogether.

Investigators should therefore consider the actions of everyone involved rather than assuming the youngest operator caused the crash.

Injuries Can Be Serious

Personal watercraft offer riders relatively little physical protection. A collision may throw a child into the water or against another vessel, dock, or fixed object. Possible injuries include:

• Traumatic brain injuries
• Broken bones
• Spinal cord injuries
• Deep cuts and lacerations
• Internal injuries
• Propeller injuries
• Drowning or nonfatal drowning injuries

Life jackets and other required safety equipment can reduce certain risks but cannot prevent every injury.

Evidence After an Accident Involving a Minor

Evidence may help determine whether age restrictions, supervision, unsafe operation, or equipment problems contributed to the accident. Helpful information may include:

• Photographs and videos
• Witness statements
• Rental agreements
• Boating education or certification records
• Vessel ownership information
• Maintenance and inspection records
• GPS or electronic data
• Coast Guard or boating agency reports
• Medical records
• Information about weather and water conditions

Preserving the watercraft may also be important when a steering, throttle, or other mechanical problem is suspected.

Morgan & Morgan Is Here to Help

A personal watercraft accident involving a child can leave families facing serious injuries, medical expenses, and difficult questions about who should have prevented the accident.

Morgan & Morgan’s maritime accident attorneys can investigate the operator’s qualifications, supervision, rental records, vessel condition, and actions of other boaters to identify potentially responsible parties and fight for the compensation your family may deserve.

Contact Morgan & Morgan for a free, no-obligation case evaluation. With the Fee Is Free™, you pay nothing unless we win your case.