File this one under incredibly stupid: Brunswick just lost their appeal in a case in which they were sued because someone got injured by a Mercruiser propeller. Here it is in a nutshell: an 18 year old kid jumped off the back of a 17′ Sea Ray, and the guy at the wheel shifted into reverse. The prop shredded the kid’s leg, he sued Brunswick, and somehow he won.

Now, this is a tragedy, no doubt. But how in the world could any reasonable person hold Brunswick responsible? The fact that a spinning prop is dangerous is and should be understood by each and every person who ever sets foot on a boat. This is not rocket science. Next thing you know, someone’s going to fall overboard and sue the boat manufacturer for designing the gunwales too low. Or maybe someone will stumble down the cabin steps in rough seas, and sue because the hull design was too unstable.

The penalty? Brunswick has been ordered to pay the injured kid 3.8 million dollars. Folks, there’s something very wrong about this…