Posted by northcoast diver on February 28, 2005 at 11:26:55:
In Reply to: Re: How do these lawsuits end??? I never hear follow up posted by hilary on February 28, 2005 at 09:45:09:
Insurance, and sound procedures, are the two things combined that are supposed to protect you against lawsuits. Not moaning and groaning about lawsuits.
For one thing, there are a whole slew of people who go around LOOKING for a reason to sue. Lets just call them the bottomfeeders. Once identified, these people are truly to be avoided. They stink. I agree with you on that point. But you cannot always keep from running into them. There are too many of these scum.
For another thing, anytime anyone dies or is severely injured, somebody else is going to sue you if you were involved in any way. That is human nature. This is where the insurance and the signed waivers come in very handily, if you are a boat captain, store owner, instructor, or divemaster.
Lawsuits will never end. That is why we have insurance.
The company I work for recently acquired a competitor as a new subsidiary. The stock market realized this throws us into a realm of uncertainty due to the troubled nature of the recently acquired company. Our stock declined. One of the minor investors called me and indicated that he wants to sue us for the stock decline. I told him go ahead. We have insurance.
Some people will sue for any frivilous reason. Insurance is a good thing.
In scuba diving, if you are a boat captain, or a store owner, or an active instructor or divemaster, then you have insurance. So you get the waivers signed and you follow sound procedures.
And if you are an amateur and you do not have insurance, then you can only rely on your training to avert any type of problem.
I have been in several situations where buddies that I have been diving with did something that was not in the dive plan. At that point, I have stopped and watched them as they proceeded. Sometimes I have quickly swam down to them and motined to them to return to the dive plan.
The best thing is to take care of yourself, do the safest thing you can to watch over your buddy, and be careful about buddying up again with anyone who you did not agree with.
My best buddy is my 13 cu ft pony bottle on NDL dives, and my twin tanks on a deco dive. Neither of these has ever failed me. People are a totally different story since people are so unpredictable.