For the experienced diver it is a big worry. Most of the other factors are uncontrollable or unknowable. Maybe I WILL totally panic underwater, but I try to prepare myself to prevent it.
I've seen a lot of people get bent and a few get permanently disabled. When you see that and maybe been bent yourself a few times, this crap becomes a big deal. It is for the most part preventable and when it does occur it is very important to have oxygen available. To say that it is so unlikely that it is unimportant is unwise. The risk is not that high, but the consequences are too severe to ignore.
A recreational diver would be better severed working on in water comfort and buoyancy control to insure they don't have an in water accident and not sweating over whether deep stops or what computer computes the safest schedule in order to avoid DCS.
Were all the people you've seen with serious DCS hits diving recreational or are you talking about tech diving?
The only DCS hit I've ever seen a recreational diver have was from an inner hit assumed to be caused by PFO.