SHOOTING ACCIDENTS

ACCIDENTAL GUNSHOT LAWYERS

Many Americans use guns for hunting, recreational shooting, or for personal safety. However, firearms can be dangerous, and failing to take proper precautions when handling firearms may often lead to serious injury or even death. That’s why it’s important to know accidental gunshot lawyers you can lean on If you or a loved one has been injured by an accidental gunshot, you may have mounting medical bills in addition to your physical and emotional injuries.

ACCIDENTAL GUNSHOT INJURY FACTS

Approximately 430 people are killed due to unintentional firearm discharges in the United States per year
The highest rates of accidental gunshot deaths are among young boys and men, aged 10-29. In a quarter of accidents, alcohol consumption was involved.
Sadly, children, especially adolescents, who find firearms, may often be injured by accidental firearm discharges.
There are a variety of causes for accidental gunshot injuries and deaths, including reckless handling of firearms, haphazard storage of firearms, consumption of drugs or alcohol while handling firearms, reckless hunting practices, inexperienced or poor handling of a firearm, misfires, or defective firearms.

CAN I SEEK COMPENSATION AFTER BEING INJURED BY AN ACCIDENTAL GUNSHOT?

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed by an accidental gunshot, you may be entitled to compensation if another person was responsible for the accidental discharge. Generally, you may be able to seek compensation if the at-fault party behaved negligently. Negligent behavior involving a firearm may include careless handling, such as a gun shop owner failing to ensure a firearm is not loaded before handling it, or firing the weapon recklessly, such as celebratory gunfire. If your claim is based on negligence, you must be able to prove that negligent behavior caused the accident, and if not for this behavior, the accident would not have happened.

PROVING NEGLIGENCE

If your claim is based on the negligent behavior of another, your accidental gunshot attorney may file a lawsuit claiming that the other party negligently caused your injuries and that you are therefore entitled to compensation. To prove negligence, four elements generally need to be proven: duty of care, breach of duty, causation, and damages.

Duty of Care
First, it must be proven that the party responsible for the accidental discharge of the firearm had a duty of care towards the victim. This means that the responsible party had an obligation to act or behave in a certain manner. For example, a person handling a firearm has a responsibility to do so safely. Every person also has a duty not to point a firearm at someone else even in jest or because the weapon is thought to be unloaded.
Breach of Duty
Second, it must be proven that the party responsible for the accidental discharge of the firearm breached the duty of care. A breach of duty of care is a failure to take proper precautions or to behave in a safe manner. A person who has consumed alcohol and waves a firearm around, firing it into the air may be likely breaching their duty of care towards others, for example.
Causation
The third element that must generally be proven in a negligence claim is causation, meaning that the person responsible for the accidental discharge of the firearm’s breach of duty was the proximate cause of the accident. This means if not for their negligent behavior, the accident would not have occurred.
Damages
Finally, it must be proven that the victim was injured as a result of the accident or otherwise suffered damages. In the case of a person drunkenly firing their weapon into the air, it must be proven that the victim was injured as a result of this negligent behavior. If the victim was killed as a result of the accident, damages are generally assumed to exist.

CONSULT THE ACCIDENTAL GUNSHOT ATTORNEYS AT AMGJ INJURY ATTORNEYS

At AMGJ Law, our accidental gunshot injury lawyers may be able to help you if you or your loved one have been injured by the accidental discharge of a firearm. Our experienced accidental gunshot attorneys have years of experience helping our clients pursue the maximum compensation they may be entitled to after being injured.