Hunting is a popular pastime in Montana, and many hunters turn to Remington rifles as their firearm of choice. However, certain Remington rifle models came under scrutiny when they would fire without anyone touching the trigger.
The problem with Remington Model 700 rifles
According to a CNBC investigation, Remington Model 700 rifles were reportedly defective, in that they would fire even if the trigger was not pulled. Moreover, CNBC alleges that Remington tried to cover up this defect for decades. The investigation reportedly found documents revealing that engineers of Remington Model 700 rifles knew that these firearms were potentially unsafe since 1948. The investigation also reportedly found that Remington purposely chose not to modify the design of Model 700 rifles or issue a recall of the rifles, even though the number of accidents and consumer complaints continued to rise. Dozens of people lost their lives in accidents involving Remington rifles and hundreds of more suffered serious injuries. This led to a class action lawsuit against Remington.
The Remington settlement
The plaintiffs to the class action lawsuit and Remington agreed to a settlement in 2018. Owners of approximately 7.5 million Remington rifles had 18 months to file a claim for a replacement trigger at no cost. Remington stated that it agreed to settle the case in order to avoid protracted litigation. It is important to note that this settlement only applies to economic losses a person suffered from owning the rifles at issue. Personal injury and wrongful death claims can still move forward. Remington maintains that its guns are safe.
Learn more about Remington rifle defects
The Remington rifle defect affects many in Montana, who may unknowingly own one of the defective firearms. These individuals may want to learn more about their rights and options if they were injured or lost a loved one due to a defective Remington rifle. Our firm’s webpage on Remington rifle defects may be a useful resource to those who want to learn more about this topic.