Sample Case 1

Commercial diver injured in underwater explosion wins $4.35 million settlement

Summary:
An underwater explosion during a routine dive resulted in debilitating injuries to a commercial contract diver preventing him from pursuing a livelihood this way in the future. The lawsuit filed on his behalf against his employer was settled for $4.35 million dollars in light of the negligence of his employer to properly plan the dive.

Case Details:
A commercial saturation diver recently settled his lawsuit for more than $4 million against his employer after an underwater explosion resulted in major injuries to the diver. Saturation divers are a highly skilled and trained class of divers who can stay underwater on deep dives for long periods of time, up to twelve hours.

The diver in question was investigating a platform that had capsized and sunk during Hurricane Katrina. In the course of that process, he lit a torch designed to burn underwater. The torch exploded when it came into contact with gases that had accumulated on the underside of the platform.

As a result of the explosion, the 31-year-old sustained considerable injuries including a burst eardrum, pneumothoraces to his lungs, injuries to his central nervous system as a result of decompression, and several other shock-related damages. Although he was earning a daily wage of $1,250 at the time of the accident, as a result of his injuries he is now completely disqualified from returning to his former line of work, commercial diving. He is now pursuing an education in construction engineering.

The diver sued his employer for negligence in planning the dive improperly and ignoring the standards that would have reduced the likelihood of an accident of this nature. Although the defendant denies this negligence, the lawsuit was settled in the diver’s favor for $4.35 million dollars.