Remington, the oldest gun maker in America, is in the hot seat for a reportedly deadly malfunction on one of its most popular rifles, reports CNBC.
This case involves the brand’s Model 700 rifle, which is its most popular, and other Remington firearms that have a similar design. Allegations have persisted that the gun maker has been covering up a flaw in the design for years that allows these guns to fire even if the trigger hasn’t been pulled. There have been several lawsuits filed that link deaths and serious injuries to the misfiring guns. Remington has strongly denied the allegations in all these lawsuits, citing user error as the cause instead.
Now, there is a class action lawsuit against Remington in the Kansas City legal system, and earlier in the year, a judge in that case approved a settlement that covers around 7.5 million guns and will see the gun maker replace the trigger mechanisms in the ones owners submit claims on. However, two Model 700 owners appealed that ruling to the Circuit Court of Appeals, accusing Remington of downplaying the risk the guns pose in order to suppress the number of claims made under the settlement.
The owners are taking the position that the low number of claims – now around 29,000 total – is proof the company is not doing enough to get word out to the public. Attorneys general from the District of Columbia and 13 other states agree, also urging the appeals court to reject the settlement because the guns are a public safety threat.
Remington’s legal representation is naturally urging the court to let the settlement proceed, saying that gun owners are “suspicious” about the government and may not be willing to participate in a lawsuit because of that. They also noted that claims have jumped by about 25 percent since February and that this serves as proof an effort has been made by the company to get the word out there.
It would cost Remington about half a billion dollars if all the owners of the 7.5 million affected guns submitted claims. With the fall hunting season coming up, some gun owners may be hesitant about sending in their guns for repairs because they would not get them back in time. According to Remington’s official website for the settlement, the repair process will take about 12 weeks from the date Remington receives the gun, and all the current claims are on hold as the appeal process moves forward. On top of that, some owners will not be able to get their guns repaired at all under the settlement, as the older models only fetch a product voucher worth around $10 or more depending on the model.
Dangerous products can cause serious harm to the people who use them, and even innocent bystanders in some cases. If you have suffered injury or losses because of a dangerous and defective product, speak to an experienced product liability attorney about your case and rights today such as the Defective Product lawyer Denver CO locals trust.
Thanks to our authors at Banta Law for their insight into Personal Injury.