Who Pays If I Am Injured in a Scuba Diving Accident?

 Posted on October 21, 2024 in Personal Injury

The seas surrounding the U.S. Virgin Islands offer entrancing coral reefs, canyons, and many species of aquatic animals, making scuba diving a popular year-round activity. The islands boast multiple equipment rental and diving companies, dive instructors, and charter dive vessels catering to both residents and tourists. Although diving can be exhilarating, it is also dangerous.

What are common scuba diving injuries? Can I file a personal injury or defective product claim, and who pays me? Your knowledgeable attorneys from Colianni & Leonard LLC will evaluate your situation and help you determine the best way to proceed.

What Are Common Virgin Islands Scuba Diving Accidents and Injuries?

Understanding the risks associated with scuba diving may help you avoid injury, which may include:

• Nitrogen narcosis impairs sensory perception and judgment.
• Decompression sickness can lead to aches, pains, paralysis, and death.
• Ear barotrauma is caused by not equalizing pressure correctly.
• Pulmonary embolism may result from rapid ascents.
• Entanglement in underwater obstacles can cause divers to panic and sustain injuries.
• Defective equipment can cause a variety of dangerous accidents.
• Boat accidents, such as divers leaving or entering the dive boat, can cause various injuries.
• Insufficient training or supervision can put divers at extreme risk.
• Collisions with marine life, underwater formations, or other divers can result in minor to life-threatening injuries.

Drowning is a real risk with these and other accidents and injuries. While some are unfortunate errors made by experienced divers, others may result from someone’s negligence. If negligence was a factor in your Virgin Islands scuba diving accident, you may qualify for compensation.

What Causes Scuba Accidents?

As with any kind of accident, diving accidents can result from many causes, such as:

• Faulty oxygen tanks, masks, pressure valves, or other equipment
• Tanks that are not filled correctly
• Divemasters and instructors failing to train divers properly, giving misleading information, or failing to monitor divers and systems
• Dive vessel operators failing to follow procedures
• Improper use of decompression protocols
• Negligent supervision
• Dangerous weather and seas

When equipment rental companies, dive boats, dive instructors, and others accept you as a client, they acknowledge a duty of care, meaning they agree to use reasonable care and avoid putting your safety at risk. When they fail to comply with that duty, they may be found negligent. Equipment manufacturers and inspectors may also be liable if defective or faulty equipment contributed to your injuries. Your attorney from Colianni & Leonard LLC will investigate your accident, identify the at-fault party, and pursue the full available amount of compensation.

What Damages Could You Receive After A Scuba Injury?

Every person’s damages are different, but yours may include:

• Medical expenses
• Property damage
• Lost wages
• Pain and suffering
• Permanent disability
• Mental and emotional anguish

If a loved one lost his life in a scuba accident, you may qualify to file a wrongful death claim.

Call Our Skilled St. Thomas Scuba Diving Accident Lawyer

If someone else’s negligence caused your scuba injuries, you deserve compensation. A local lawyer from Colianni & Leonard LLC can help you hold the at-fault parties accountable for the harm they caused. Call us at 340-719-1766 for your free consultation with our trusted U.S. Virgin Islands personal injury attorney.