This case involves a 12-year-old girl who visited a local beach. She walked out to the end of a jetty that was adjacent to a designated swimming area and dove head first into the water. The water was too shallow for diving and the girl hit her head. As a result of the impact, the girl became paraplegic. The young girl assumed the water was deep enough to dive because there were no signs anywhere indicating shallow water or prohibiting diving. An expert in aquatic safety was sought to review this case and opine on proper safety protocol and warnings that could have prevented this accident from occurring.
Question(s) For Expert Witness
1. Please briefly describe your experience with the above subject matter.
2. Can you speak to the required signage and/or safety protocol that should be in place to prevent diving into shallow water?
Expert Witness Response E-008835
I have served on the board of directors for a national drowning prevention association advocating for drowning and aquatic injury prevention. I have been a firefighter and EMT for 40+ years and currently train fire, rescue, EMS, and law enforcement personnel as water rescue instructors. I have written and published several articles on the prevention and management of aquatic spinal injuries. I have conducted training nationally, as well as internationally on this subject. Besides fatal and non-fatal submersion incidents, diving accidents are the most significant aquatic-related injuries that can occur at an aquatic facility. These tragic incidents can easily be prevented through the placement of signage, the erection of barriers, and public education.
About the author
Victoria Negron
Victoria Negron has extensive experience in journalism and thought leadership in the legal space, with a background crafting content, whitepapers, webinars, and current event articles pertaining to the role of expert witnesses in complex litigation matters. She is a skilled professional specializing in B2B product marketing and content marketing. Currently, she serves as an Enterprise Product Marketing Manager at Postman, and previously held the position of Technical Product Marketing Manager at Palantir Technologies, where she developed her skills in launch strategies, go-to-market strategy, and competitive analysis.
Her expertise in content marketing was further refined during her tenure at the Expert Institute, where she progressed from a Marketing Writer to Senior Content Marketing Manager, and eventually to Associate Director of Content & Product Marketing. In these roles, she honed her abilities in digital marketing, SEO, content strategy, and thought leadership.
Educationally, Victoria holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Florida - Warrington College of Business and a Bachelor of Arts in Literature, Art, and Hispanic Studies from Hamilton College. Her diverse educational background and professional experience have equipped her with a robust skill set in product marketing, content development, and strategic marketing initiatives.
