Boating during storms

Buffalo Gal · 07-15-2017, 09:19 AM

Safety in a Storm

It may not be a law, but anyone denying access to a safe dock in a storm is open to a lawsuit. I’m not a lawyer, but in doing genealogy research I learned that a shared ancestor of my 4x great grandfather was the plaintiff in a legal case that may still be taught in law school. In 1908, during a sudden storm on Lake Champlain a Mr. Ploof and his family sought a safe place to tie his boat. The caretaker of the owner of the home and the dock he tied to told them that it was private property and they must leave. The caretaker untied the boat and it was forced onto rocks on the shore. Injuries and boat damage resulted. Mr. Ploof sued and won the case. It is, I believe, settled case law. http://www.casebriefsummary.com/ploof-v-putnam/

07-15-2017, 09:19 AM	#1
Buffalo Gal Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Meredith Posts: 16 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Safety in a Storm It may not be a law, but anyone denying access to a safe dock in a storm is open to a lawsuit. I’m not a lawyer, but in doing genealogy research I learned that a shared ancestor of my 4x great grandfather was the plaintiff in a legal case that may still be taught in law school. In 1908, during a sudden storm on Lake Champlain a Mr. Ploof and his family sought a safe place to tie his boat. The caretaker of the owner of the home and the dock he tied to told them that it was private property and they must leave. The caretaker untied the boat and it was forced onto rocks on the shore. Injuries and boat damage resulted. Mr. Ploof sued and won the case. It is, I believe, settled case law. http://www.casebriefsummary.com/ploof-v-putnam/