A man killed in an East Coast hunting accident could be the latest victim of the faulty Remington 700 model rifle. That model of gun has been the subject of a slew of product liability suits since the 1990s, with more people falling victim to its failures each year. Many of those cases have been filed in Montana, but victims hail from all around the world.
The man, age 48, was reportedly shot in the shoulder at a distance of 70 to 90 yards by his 39-year-old friend. The victim died before emergency responders arrived at the scene, according to reports. The police investigation is still ongoing, but initial reports suggest that the 39-year-old man mistook his friend for a deer.
Legal documents show that the Remington Model 700’s firing mechanism has been deemed faulty in a number of accidents, including a recent cabin shooting that was detailed in this blog. Many hunters have reported that they only bumped the firing mechanism with their hand, causing the gun to fire without the trigger ever being pulled. It is possible that this same manufacturing failure could have contributed to the incident in Newburgh on Nov. 19.
Authorities say the incident is still under investigation, but all accounts point to the shooting being accidental. Hunting violations may be filed against the man, but officials have not specified when those citations may be issued.
The Remington 700 has been blamed for a rising number of accidental shootings both in the home and in the wilderness. Victims have included teenagers and adults, according to courtroom documents from a variety of cases. Investigators in these civil cases believe that the company was aware that the rifle model’s firing mechanism was poorly manufactured as early as the 1990s, but executives made no moves to improve the firearm’s safety.
As a result, at least 10 deaths can be attributed to the Remington 700’s propensity to misfire, and more product liability cases are brought forward against the company each year.
Source: Times Herald-Record, “Plattekill man killed in Newburgh hunting accident,” Nov. 20, 2012