It goes without saying that firearms in the form of handguns, rifles and other ballistic weapons are by definition dangerous instrumentalities. In the United States, there are approximately 30,000 firearm related injuries or deaths each year. The vast majority of those injuries or deaths are associated with crime or other intentional conduct. However, a significant percentage of firearm injuries are as a result of negligent or reckless behavior on the part of gun owners, gun users or property owners responsible for conduct on their property. Victims of intentional firearm crime are often left to seek compensation from their own insurance or resources. Most persons committing intentional weapon assaults will rarely have insurance coverage available to compensate a victim. Persons injured or killed by unintentional or negligent firearm discharges may look to any negligent party, not necessarily limited to the shooter, who may have contributed in some way to the negligent shooting. The successful prosecution of a gun or firearm case requires an attorney experienced with the subject matter, including the mechanics of gun operation and maintenance, as well as the applicable safety standards and practices, together with the specialized laws and ordinances governing the use and operation of guns on private and public lands.
At Dreyer Boyajian, we have successfully handled many different types of firearm and shooting negligence cases ranging from accidental police shootings of innocent bystanders, police training firearm mishaps, hunting accidents, accidents involving unsupervised children and product liability claims involving firearms.
