  Binary neutron star mergers are considered to be the most favorable sources
that produce electromagnetic (EM) signals associated with gravitational waves
(GWs). These mergers are the likely progenitors of short duration gamma-ray
bursts (GRBs). The brief gamma-ray emission (the "prompt GRB" emission) is
produced by ultra-relativistic jets, as a result, this emission is strongly
beamed over a small solid angle along the jet. It is estimated to be a decade
or more before a short GRB jet within the LIGO volume points along our line of
sight. For this reason, the study of the prompt signal as an EM counterpart to
GW events has been sparse. We argue that for a realistic jet model, one whose
luminosity and Lorentz factor vary smoothly with angle, the prompt signal can
be detected for a significantly broader range of viewing angles. This can lead
to a new type of EM counterpart, an "off-axis" short GRB. Our estimates and
simulations show that it is feasible to detect these signals with the aid of
the temporal coincidence from a LIGO trigger, even if the observer is
substantially misaligned with respect to the jet.
