The Law Offices of David G. Concannon, LLC represents a variety of clients in the sports and recreation industries, from equipment manufacturers, training agencies and adventure travel companies, to international expeditions. The firm is often retained to investigate and defend wrongful death cases, usually after a person unfortunately dies while engaged in some type of dangerous activity. The firm is regularly retained within days of an accident occurring, and each accident is thoroughly investigated with the expectation that it will someday result in a lawsuit (although most do not). We find that obtaining all the facts as soon as possible is the best way to avoid and/or win future litigation.
Here is a representative sample of the results we have achieved in the past.
Case No. 1 - A scuba diver loses his life while wreck diving off the coast of New Jersey. The diver's family brought suit in New Jersey state court, alleging claims for wrongful death, negligence and other torts. The Law Offices of David G. Concannon, LLC was retained to represent the dive shop that chartered the vessel used for the day of diving. Our investigation showed that the deceased diver was engaged in diving far beyond his experience level and training; he was unfamiliar with his equipment configuration, which he recently purchased off the Internet; and his death most likely resulted from an uncontrolled ascent due to diver error. When our findings were presented to the plaintiff's attoney, the plaintiff voluntarily dismissed her case against the firm's client.
Case No. 2 - A scuba diver loses his life while diving on the wreck of the Andrea Doria in the Atlantic Ocean. The diver's family brought suit in New Jersey state court, alleging claims for wrongful death, negligence and other torts. The Law Offices of David G. Concannon, LLC was retained to represent the dive boat and its captain after they had defaulted in the case. We succeeded in having the default reopened and, after our investigation showed that the deceased diver most likely died of a heart attack, the case settled for a nominal amount.
Case No. 3 - A scuba diver loses his life while engaged in an advanced level scuba diving course in a quarry in the Midwest. The diver's family brought suit in Illinois state court, alleging claims for wrongful death, negligence and other torts. The Law Offices of David G. Concannon, LLC was retained to represent the scuba diving instructor. The case was initially dismissed after the court enforced a liability waiver signed by the deceased. However, the plaintiff refiled the lawsuit alleging intentional misconduct on the part of the defendants, because they allegedly acted with reckless indifference to the deceased diver when he drowned in their presence. After our medical expert provided a report showing that the Coroner incorrectly attributed the cause of death to drowning, when in fact the deceased diver had suffered a sudden and fatal heart attack, the plaintiff voluntarily dismissed the case with prejudice.
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