Which shooting range injuries may qualify for compensation?

A person who was injured at a shooting range must prove that their injury resulted from someone else's negligence, defective firearms, or safety violations in order to recover compensation.

Physical injuries like gunshot wounds and hearing damage are among the most common types of injuries that can happen at shooting ranges. Compensation can be recovered for physical or psychological harm.

There are several types of shooting range injuries eligible for compensation under Florida law, each with specific considerations and different ways negligence, unsafe conditions, or defective equipment can cause harm:

• Physical injuries are one of the most common and usually most severe injuries that occur at shooting ranges. It includes gunshot wounds from accidental shots or ricochets, traumatic brain injuries from blast overpressure, hearing loss from inadequate ear protection, broken bones from equipment failures or slips, burns from powder discharges or hot metal surfaces, and eye injuries from debris.
• Defective equipment injuries happen when firearms malfunction due to design flaws, manufacturing defects, or improper maintenance. Explosive barrel failures, trigger malfunctions causing unintended discharges, defective safety mechanisms, or target system failures can cause dangerous fragments to be ejected toward shooters.
• Premises liability injuries can occur because of unsafe range conditions such as slip and fall accidents caused by shell casings or gun oil, inadequate lighting that creates hazardous conditions, or poor ventilation that leads to lead exposure.
• Psychological trauma can be compensable even without severe physical injuries, including post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorders, depression, or phobias developing after traumatic shooting incidents. If these damages result from negligence, they are considered legitimate damages under Florida law.
• Long-term complications usually increase compensation amounts, including permanent disabilities, chronic pain conditions, scarring and disfigurement, loss of limbs, and reduced quality of life affecting work and personal relationships.
• Wrongful death if a shooting range injury results in death, surviving family members may pursue a wrongful death claim for damages under Florida law, including funeral costs, loss of support, and emotional suffering.

How does attorney Sean M. Cleary help in a shooting range injury case?

Taking immediate action in shooting range injury cases is essential to preserving evidence and documenting the full extent of your damages. The Law Offices of Sean M. Cleary understand that shooting range injuries can have long-term physical, emotional, and financial effects.

During the development of a case, we notify shooting ranges and other parties promptly to preserve evidence, ensuring that crucial physical evidence does not disappear. We work closely with medical professionals to thoroughly document your injuries and prognosis, ensuring that we can meet both your immediate and long-term medical needs.

In the case of permanent disability and inability to return to work, we consult economists and vocational experts to assess the loss of earning capacity. You will be connected with qualified mental health professionals who will be able to document the impact of the injuries on your life and provide treatment, as well as prove your non-economic losses.

We have extensive experience in premises and product liability claims, as well as claims involving accidental deaths at shooting ranges, enabling us to identify all potential liable parties, including equipment manufacturers and range operators. We know how to represent complex injury cases to insurance companies and juries in a way that maximizes compensation recovery.