Abandon Dinghy! A day out on a small boat, while a lovely way to spend a warm afternoon, has its pitfalls. Boats are expensive to maintain, and one must always be cognizant of suddenly bad weather.

Apparently, Mr. and Mrs. Higgins can add “beware of rogue NYPD boats” to the list. On August 20, 2012, John Higgins and his wife Mary Ann were forced to jump from their small dinghy into Jamaica Bay when they observed an NYPD boat heading straight towards them. Immediately after jumping from their boat, the NYPD vessel crashed into their boat.

It is unclear whether their eventual suit will involve any claims beyond property damage. If not, the City would be wise to settle this matter without much haggling, seeing that the Higgins family likely saved the City a sizable personal injury settlement by jumping from the dinghy, rather staying on board for the crash.

Thanks to Brian Gibbons for this contribution.