Even though many gun owners are responsible in how they store and use their firearms, accidents still happen frequently.
Various scenarios could lead to an accidental shooting. In many cases, someone will have civil liability towards the person who was injured or killed in the incident. Civil liability means they will have to pay financial compensation to the person they harmed, including covering their lost wages, medical care, as well as their pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life’s activities.
Contact a Connecticut accidental shooting lawyer at D’Amico & Pettinicchi, LLC, if you were injured or your loved one was killed in a gun accident. The personal injury attorneys at our firm have decades of experience and an impressive record of obtaining maximum compensation for accident victims.
When a gunshot victim or their family brings a civil lawsuit seeking compensation from the shooter, they don’t need to prove a crime was committed. They only need to show that the shooter’s conduct was reckless or negligent. Someone is negligent under the law if they don’t use reasonable care to prevent avoidable injuries to others.
For example, people are sometimes shot in hunting accidents. When the injured person can show that the shooter mishandled their weapon or fired without a clear bead on an appropriate target, the hunter may be considered legally negligent. One of the Connecticut accidental shooting attorneys at our firm can investigate the accident, speak to witnesses, and establish how the incident occurred to hold the negligent party accountable.
One of the most tragic situations imaginable occurs when a child playing with a gun shoots a playmate. The parents of a child who was injured or killed by another child could bring a claim against the parents who own or possess the gun. Connecticut General Statutes § 52-571g makes parents strictly liable when their child obtains a firearm and uses it to harm someone else. Our proactive lawyers can explore how the child obtained access to a loaded gun and sue the parents for their negligence in violating gun safety laws, failing to supervise their child, or both.
There is a specific form of negligence called premises liability. When someone who owns or occupies a residence or business does not keep the premises reasonably safe for visitors, they can be liable for injuries the visitor suffers in an accident.
Part of keeping premises safe is maintaining appropriate security. If you were shot when someone tried to rob you in a restaurant parking lot, the restaurant owner could be liable if their security measures were inadequate.
Landowners can sometimes be liable for accidental shootings that occur on their property if the owner did not take reasonable measures to keep customers and visitors safe. For example, if a property owner knows hunters trespass on their land but doesn’t take steps to prevent them from doing so and an owner’s guest gets shot, the property owner might be liable. These cases are fact-dependent and can be complex, so it’s best to consult an experienced lawyer at D’Amico & Pettinicchi, LLC, immediately if you believe a property owner’s negligence contributed to an accidental shooting in Connecticut.
A federal law called the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act protects gun manufacturers from lawsuits by gunshot victims in most cases. However, when a victim alleges that they or their loved one was shot because a gun misfired or was defective in some other way, a manufacturer could be liable.
The law permits lawsuits against gun manufacturers in some circumstances. A manufacturer could be held strictly liable when an attorney can prove that the gun was defective because of a design flaw, a manufacturing error, or a breach of warranty. A skilled firearm accident attorney in Connecticut can claim the gun company was negligent if it did not use reasonable care when manufacturing the product resulting in a malfunction that caused injury or death.
Gunshots cause serious injury or death. If a firearm accident impacted you or your family members, contact the attorneys at D’Amico & Pettinicchi, LLC.
Our firm has been achieving excellent results for injured people for decades. Our legal professionals have the knowledge, experience, and resources to obtain maximum compensation for you.
We offer free, remote or in-person consultations. Schedule a meeting with a Connecticut accidental shooting lawyer to explore your legal options today.
