We are trying to make a personal assessment of what might be fair and
reasonable. I know that Google answers does not provide legal advice.

We were on a dive boat (not in the U.S.).  It hadn't even gotten out
of sight of the dock, when the pilot began revving it faster and then
. . . ran it onto a sandbar.  BAM!  It was like being in a car crash.

One of us got bruises all down one side; nothing permanent.  The other
got bruises and a broken rib; again, nothing permanent.

The remainder of what would have been our vacation was spent first,
going to a doctor & picking up prescriptions, and then recuperating. 
Not much fun and certainly no excitement for the next month or so.  We
lost 10 days of vacation.  Plus pain, plus being unable to sleep
except sitting up (the broken rib), plus plus plus . . .

The owners of the boat think that they owe us nothing, we think
otherwise. Their insurance deductible (according to their insurance
company) is $2,500 which is more than we are asking, anyway.

Do they owe us nothing?  Or, what would be reasonable? 

Comments welcome . . .

---

Request for Question Clarification by tutuzdad-ga on 29 Apr 2006 19:55 PDT

Please read this article, which I think will probably provide the
information you are seeking. Here you will find, in general terms, the
typical formula insurance companies use in determining compensation
for personal injury cases.

"When the injuries are relatively minor, the adjuster multiplies the
amount of special damages by 1.5 or 2. When the injuries are
particularly painful, serious, or long-lasting, the adjuster
multiplies the amount of special damages by up to 5. (The multiplier
may be as great as 10 in extreme cases."
 
HOW MUCH IS MY PERSON INJURY CLAIM WORTH?
http://www.nolo.com/article.cfm/ObjectID/9996233B-AAEB-4DCB-BA70364E70A8B657/catID/070D5BDE-D53D-4D32-B79BCB997390CD33/104/ART/

You may also find THE COLLISION WIZARD especially helpful in
determining the typical award expectations:
http://collisionwizard.bbbvideo.com/claimWorth.php

Please let me know if this works for you as an answer since we can't
accurately apply a given formula to your specific case without knowing
all the details and actual costs associated with them.

tutuzdad-ga

---

Clarification of Question by siggy-ga on 30 Apr 2006 22:17 PDT

Tutuzdad, your response is very helpful; acceptable as an answer.

And everyone else, thanks for the comments, they have been helpful too.  

If anyone has anything to add . . . please do.

Dear siggy-ga;

Thank you for accepting my research as an answer to your question. I
am merely reposting the information here in order to officially close
your question:

Here you will find, in general terms, the typical formula insurance
companies use in determining compensation for personal injury cases.

"When the injuries are relatively minor, the adjuster multiplies the
amount of special damages by 1.5 or 2. When the injuries are
particularly painful, serious, or long-lasting, the adjuster
multiplies the amount of special damages by up to 5. (The multiplier
may be as great as 10 in extreme cases."
 
HOW MUCH IS MY PERSON INJURY CLAIM WORTH?
http://www.nolo.com/article.cfm/ObjectID/9996233B-AAEB-4DCB-BA70364E70A8B657/catID/070D5BDE-D53D-4D32-B79BCB997390CD33/104/ART/

You may also find THE COLLISION WIZARD especially helpful in
determining the typical award expectations:
http://collisionwizard.bbbvideo.com/claimWorth.php


I hope you find that my research exceeds your expectations. If you
have any questions about my research please post a clarification
request prior to rating the answer. Otherwise, I welcome your rating
and your final comments and I look forward to working with you again
in the near future. Thank you for bringing your question to us.

Best regards;
Tutuzdad ? Google Answers Researcher


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Since it happened out side the US, the country of the accident will
controll I believe not legal advice, so alot will depend on what
country, many third world have loose legal system and are not as sue
happy as the us, but maybe it was one of the old British islands and
thus some what of a legal system

It could be a question about the competence of the "pilot", whether he
was licensed, etc., also a question of possible responsibility of
someone else,
if he was recommended or engaged by the hotel or if the diving outing was 
part of a package vacation tour that specifically had this in its advertised 
program.