Most readers of this blog are familiar with the Remington Model 700 and the fatal flaws associated with this firearm that have been connected to deaths and injuries throughout the United States. The topic of the Remington Model 700 may make you wonder: What firearm defects can lead to injuries and what should consumers look out for?
Let’s take a look at the three common types of gun malfunction problems that could result in lawsuits:
1. Squib load and incomplete discharge
A “squib load” a.k.a. incomplete discharge relates to a round that gets lodged in the barrel of the gun. Sometimes, the operator of the weapon doesn’t realize that the squib load has occurred. When the second shot is fired, the gun can explode having disastrous effects on the user.
2. Delayed discharge
A delayed discharge happens when the firearm only halfway malfunctions. The primer will activate after pulling the trigger, but the weapon will not fire, until several seconds later. Those several seconds could prove fatal if the user of the weapon points the unfired gun in the direction of another person, and then the weapon emits a delayed discharge of the bullet.
If you ever pull the trigger on a weapon and it doesn’t fire, always continue to hold the weapon in the direction of the original target and wait for at least 30 seconds. Never look down the barrel and never point the gun at another person if it hasn’t fired. Carefully remove the dud cartridge after a delayed discharge.
3. Failure to extract
After the firing of a gun, the used cartridge must be ejected. Sometimes, the cartridge doesn’t eject due to user error or condition of the weapon. If this happens and a new cartridge is forced through the weapon and fired, the weapon could explode with disastrous effects not dissimilar to the squib load problem referenced above.
Were you or a loved one injured or killed by a malfunctioning firearm?
Regardless of how it happened, if you or a loved one suffered injuries — or if your loved one died — as a result of a malfunctioning firearm, you may want to investigate your legal rights and options. One or more parties could be financially liable for the injuries, deaths and damages caused by the malfunctioning weapon.