Hurt working underwater?
Commercial diving for marine construction — inspecting, welding, cutting, and salvage below the surface — carries hazards no other trade has: decompression sickness, barotrauma, equipment failure at depth, entrapment, and drowning.
Are commercial divers covered, and what covers them?
Commercial diving is covered by maritime law. A diver based on a dive support vessel is often a Jones Act seaman, able to sue the employer for negligence and the vessel owner for unseaworthy equipment; other divers may fall under the Longshore Act. Diving carries unique hazards — decompression sickness, barotrauma, gas-supply and equipment failure at depth, and drowning — and these cases frequently turn on dive planning, gas management, and equipment maintenance.
Key takeaways
- Commercial diving is covered by maritime law.
- A diver based on a dive support vessel is often a Jones Act seaman.
- Decompression sickness, barotrauma, equipment failure, and drowning are the signature hazards.
- Dive planning, gas management, and equipment upkeep often decide the case.
- Get specialized medical care and preserve dive logs and equipment.
Who is responsible for a commercial diving injury?
For an unsafe dive plan, inadequate decompression schedules, poor gas management, or undertrained tenders — any negligence that played a part is enough under the Jones Act.
A dive support vessel, compressor, or life-support equipment that is not reasonably fit can render the vessel unseaworthy.
Defective diving helmets, regulators, umbilicals, or compressors can support a product-liability claim.
Frequently asked questions about commercial diver injuries
Are commercial divers Jones Act seamen?
Often, when based on a dive support vessel with a substantial connection to it. The specific assignment controls, and some divers may fall under the Longshore Act.
Is decompression sickness covered?
Yes. Decompression sickness, barotrauma, and other dive injuries are covered by maritime law, and inadequate decompression or gas management can establish negligence and unseaworthiness.
Who is responsible for a diving injury?
Potentially the employer or dive company, the vessel owner for unfit equipment, and the makers of defective diving gear.
What should you do after a diving injury?
Get medical care and make sure the injury is reported in writing. Preserve evidence early, including incident reports, photos, the equipment involved, and witness names, and do not give a recorded statement or sign anything before talking to a lawyer. Preserve dive logs, gas records, and the diving equipment.
What happens when you text us
Tell us what happened — in your own words, as much or as little as you want.
We review it free. You learn whether maritime law protects you and what your options actually are.
You decide. Nothing is filed, and no one contacts your employer, unless you choose to move forward.
Your conversation with us is confidential. There is no fee unless we win. Hablamos español.
Reach out even if…
- You think the accident was partly your fault — under the Jones Act, your own fault reduces a recovery but does not bar it.
- You already gave a statement or signed something — a release signed under pressure can be challenged.
- You still work for the company — talking to a lawyer is confidential, and retaliation for pursuing a claim can itself be actionable.
- You’re not sure your case is “big enough” — that’s exactly what a free review is for.
Hurt on a marine construction job? Find out what covers you.
Doyle Dennis Avery LLP represents marine construction workers hurt on the water — pile drivers, welders, crane and rigging crews, divers, and waterfront crews. Tell us what you do and how you were hurt, and we’ll tell you what covers you. A case review costs nothing.
This page is general information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Whether a given structure is a “vessel,” and whether a worker is a Jones Act seaman, an LHWCA harbor worker, or covered under OCSLA, are fact-intensive questions that depend on the specific circumstances. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome. Doyle Dennis Avery LLP · Houston, Texas. This is attorney advertising.
