Jurors Award $1.2 Million in Death of O.C. Teen-Ager : Courts: Laguna Niguel couple wins suit over motorized water-skiing collision involving their son.

A federal jury this week awarded a Laguna Niguel couple $1.2 million in the death of their 16-year-old son during a motor-skiing collision on the Colorado River.

The couple’s son, Shawn Fulgham, was riding motorized skis in August, 1993, when another man’s motor skis, traveling about 30 m.p.h. collided with him, authorities said.

Fulgham’s body was thrown into his craft’s handlebars, puncturing his throat. He died immediately.

The defendant in the case and operator of the other self-propelled water skis, Richard Heine, 51, was not injured.

An investigation by the Mojave County Sheriff’s Department originally found that Fulgham was operating his skis while intoxicated. They said he had a blood-alcohol level of 0.30. In Arizona, a person with a blood-alcohol level of 0.10 is considered drunk.

Later, the Sheriff’s Department amended its previous finding and said that alcohol was not involved in the collision near Lake Havasu.

Jim and Carol Fulgham, Shawn’s parents, sued State Farm Insurance after the company offered them $1 to settle the case.

In a 7-0 verdict on Tuesday, the U.S. District Court jury found that Heine was negligent.

Heine’s lawyer, Jim Simmons, said he will appeal the award.