Dear Diver

DEAR DIVER:

Why publish a book exploring the legal rights of a commercial diver? There are several reasons.The first is that commercial diving is big business, not only for the diving contractors who invest much in the way of capital, but it is also for the diver and his family who invested much in the pursuit of their dream. When a diver’s career is in jeopardy as the result of a tragedy occurring in the pursuit of oil and gas in the Gulf of Mexico or in an inland waterway or power plant, much in time, personal funds and livelihood may be lost. With this much at stake, ignorance of the law can be very costly. This booklet attempts to provide the diver with a general appreciation of the legal rights of a diver under the maritime law.

Secondly, diving contractors are staffed with highly skilled and experienced attorneys to provide prompt advice and counsel. The individual diver and his family cannot afford such a luxury. This outline of the law attempts to “level the playing field,” so-to-speak, in the diver’s day-to-day relationship with the diving contractor by arming the professional diver with the fundamentals of admiralty law.

Next, there are many legal myths. For example, many divers believe that they have only one year from the date of an accident to file a lawsuit, when, in fact, they have three years. Hopefully, this publication will help de-mystify maritime law.

Finally, this publication is a way by which we at Delise & Hall can introduce our frm to the newer members of the commercial diving community. Our frm has represented the interests of commercial divers throughout the world for over 30 years.

Delise & Hall takes a unique approach in our representation of commercial divers. We do not advocate litigation. While it may be imperative to consult with legal counsel in most matters, litigation should be the last resort in resolving disputes between a commercial diver and his employer.

In legal matters not related to personal injury or wrongful death claims we are here to help in a confidential manner. Most seemingly complex legal problems can be handled with a simple free telephone consultation. When there is a need to hire legal counsel, Delise & Hall would like to be considered the commercial diver’s first and best choice. It is rare indeed to find a law firm which is knowledgeable in both maritime law and the complexities surrounding the theoretical and practical problems associated with commercial diving and hyperbaric medicine. We are that law firm. I sincerely believe that we are The Source in Diving Law