MOORESVILLE, N.C. -- A woman who was seriously hurt in a June boating accident on Lake Norman has filed a lawsuit against the the boat's driver, owner and manufacturer.
Deondra Scott, 26, of Charlotte, lost her right arm when she was hit by a propeller on June 25 after she jumped off a boat during the annual Lake Bash party in a cove off GainswoodDrive in Mooresville.
In June police said the boat operator, 30-year-old Dennis Allen of Charlotte, had not been drinking, though alcohol was on the boat. Officers said the boat was carrying 15 people even though it only had capacity for 14, and only 11 life jackets were on boat.
The 24-foot long boat was manufactured by Chaparral and rented to Allen by David Orzolek.
Witnessesjumped in the water to help Scott, whomwas injured so badly she couldn t swim up to the surface on her own.
The civil suit filed on January 3 is asking for damages exceeding $10,000, including lost wages, medical bills, pain and suffering, scarring and loss of limb.
It charges Allen and Orzolek with negligence, and accuses Chaparral Boats Inc. of a design defect and failure to warn.
The lawsuit says the vessel has various features that promote swimming in the water, directly behind the boat and Allen did not have the requisite skill or experience to handle a motorboat in a public area, especially during one of the most crowded events on Lake Norman.
Orzolek is accused of not providing adequate instruction to Allen, and the plaintiff claims after Scott was first struck, Allen panicked and put the boat in reverse, causing the propellor to hit Scott a second time.
Scott was a waitress at the Concord Mills Olive Garden and also worked with Allen at Vida restaurant in uptown Charlotte.
Allen was charged with negligent operation of a motorboat, endangering life and limb, and operation of a motorboat with insufficient life jackets, The Charlotte Observer reported in July.
Scott's attorney would not specify how much money they are asking for in damages, but Scott's medical bills are in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
