Quote Originally Posted by SnoC653 View Post
In today's law suit happy society that is probably a good choice. That is why I hand them the jacket. If they choose not to wear it, the liability is on them. It was placed in their hands.
I'm glad you brought this up.

You as the owner and operator of the boat, in the event of an accident, whether or not you were at fault, probably stands a good chance of being sued. Especially if one of the injured passengers is not a very close friend or family member. That's always a consideration when I put people in my boat. Not that a good friend or family member would not sue, but the chances are lessened imo. I will change my driving habits depending on who is in my boat. Not that I'm reckless with friends and/or family in the boat, but I will speed it up a little. Now with someone I don't know too well or younger kids, different ballgame. I'm going to drive like a granny in her Buick on the 405

As far as getting out of a lawsuit simply because you "offered" life jackets to your passengers, I wouldn't count on it. If you're going to get sued, you're going to get sued. The lawyers will end up arguing that the jackets were old, outdated too small, too big, or not the right color for the occasion