Unintentional Discharges And Design Defects: The Lawsuits Over The Sig Sauer P320

Product liability laws are intended to ensure that product manufacturers are held accountable for any injuries caused by a defective product. Although product liability laws are often concerned with consumer products, firearms can also become the center of a product liability lawsuit due to defects that create a dangerous product. In the past few years, product liability lawsuits involving the Sig Sauer P320 handgun have received a lot of national attention. Plaintiffs from all over the U.S. have claimed that the gun can fire without the trigger being pulled, which is a major concern for product safety. 

Understanding the problem 

The Sig Sauer P320 is a semi-automatic handgun that is commonly used by both law enforcement and military officials. The handgun was first introduced in 2014 and has since become very popular due to its reliability and modularity.

The handgun has, however, attracted several lawsuits in both state and federal courts. The main claim in all these lawsuits is that the handgun can discharge even when no one pulled the trigger. Claimants in all of these cases have stated that the handgun discharged unexpectedly while holstered. In some cases, the discharge resulted in severe injuries. Injuries included gunshot wounds to the leg and foot.

Law enforcement and military officials have filed court cases against the company. The claimants state that the discharge was spontaneous and unintended. The main claim is that the handgun has an intrinsic design defect that can cause serious injuries to consumers and bystanders. In some cases, the company was accused of being aware of the problem and failing to do anything about it. Sig Sauer has denied these allegations and stated that their handgun is safe to use. Further, they’ve accused injured victims of misusing the handgun, causing their injuries. The lawsuits against Sig Sauer are ongoing. 

When can you sue a firearms manufacturer? 

In most cases, the federal government offers significant protection to gun manufacturers. This can make it more difficult to bring a lawsuit against a gun manufacturer when compared with other defective products. The Protection of Lawsuit Commerce in Arms Act generally protects gun manufacturers and sellers from any liability for a gun that is later involved in a criminal act by a third party. However, the law doesn’t completely protect gun manufacturers. People can still file lawsuits against gun manufacturers for injuries that result from a defective product.

This is the case when the injury results from a design defect or a manufacturing defect that makes the gun dangerous for its intended use. Gun manufacturers can also be sued for failing to warn users about the dangers of the product. In the case of a gun accidentally discharging, Sig Sauer can be held responsible. 

Talk to a Florida Product Liability Lawyer Today 

Halpern, Santos & Pinkert represent the interests of injured consumers in product liability cases. Call our Florida personal injury lawyers today to schedule an appointment, and we can begin investigating your case right away.