CALL (800) 863-5312 TODAY TO SPEAK WITH EXPERIENCED ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING INJURY LAWYERS IN BOULDER
Accidental shootings take hundreds of lives and injure thousands more each year. There are many reasons why Americans have guns, which can range from personal safety to recreational purposes. Unfortunately, when gun owners do not exercise proper care with a gun, this greatly increases the likelihood of dangerous and oftentimes fatal firearm accidents. If you or a loved one have been injured in an accidental shooting, know that our experienced accidental shooting injury lawyers in Boulder are here to help.
Our lawyers have experience helping accidental gunshot victims and their families. Plus, Zinda Law Group offers 100% free case consultations with our experienced Boulder accidental shooting lawyers. To schedule your free consultation, call (800) 863-5312 today.
How we help boulder accidental shooting victims
If you or a loved one have been injured in an accidental shooting, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. However, the likelihood of your success depends on many different factors, including whether the facts of your case support a legal claim against the person or persons responsible, whether the lawyer for the person responsible is willing to negotiate, and—if not—whether you can prove your case in court.
Our experienced accidental shooting lawyers will fight for you at every step of this process and help you pursue the compensation you deserve.
John (Jack) Zinda
Founder / CEO
Over 100 years of combined experience representing injured victims across the country.
Available 24 / 7|Free ConsultationYour Boulder Accidental Shooting Lawyer Can Assess Your Case
The first step of this process is sharing your story with one of our experienced personal injury attorneys so that they can assess your case. Generally, you can only recover compensation for an accidental shooting if someone else was responsible for the accidental discharge. This could be another person who was carelessly handling a gun near you or even the gun manufacturer who failed to take proper care when designing or creating the firearm.
During your free consultation, our personal injury lawyers can help you figure out who is to blame for the tragic experience you have endured. Even if it isn’t exactly clear who was at fault, our lawyers can investigate your case to ensure that every possibility is considered.
Once our lawyers assess who was responsible for your injuries, they can also help determine which legal claim you can assert against that person. There are many different legal claims that can be brought in cases like these. Oftentimes, injured victims assert a legal claim called negligence. Someone behaves negligently when they fail to use reasonable care in the circumstances. For example, if someone was intoxicated and carelessly handled the gun that discharged and struck you, they were behaving negligently.
If, on the other hand, the accident was caused by a defective gun, then the legal claim would likely be something called products liability. This refers to the idea that if a manufacturer designed or manufactured a product poorly or failed to adequately warn of the product’s risk, then they are liable for any resulting harm.
Neil Solomon
Partner
Real results matter. We do not get paid unless we win your case.
Available 24 / 7|Free ConsultationYour Lawyer Can Negotiate With the Other Party
Once your Boulder injury lawyer has investigated your claim and figured out who was responsible, they can then begin settlement negotiations. Settlement negotiations are negotiations between your attorney and the attorney for the other party during which the parties discuss whether everyone can agree on a dollar amount in exchange for your promise to not continue with the lawsuit. Before negotiations begin, your lawyer can help you understand a ballpark figure for the value of your claim. Your claim will be valued based on factors such as the medical expenses you paid, any wages you lost, and the suffering you experienced.
Jason Aldridge
Attorney
Standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week ready to answer in your time of need.
Available 24 / 7|Free ConsultationIf Negotiations Aren’t Successful, Your Lawyer Can Fight for You in Court
If we are unable to reach an agreement during the preliminary negotiations, that does not necessarily mean that a settlement agreement is off the table. In fact, you can enter into a settlement agreement even after the lawsuit is filed. However, if necessary, our Boulder injury lawyers can help you plead and prove your case in court.
This process will generally start out with your lawyer filing what is called a civil complaint. A complaint is the document that states all of your claims as the plaintiff against the responsible party, the defendant. The complaint also states what remedy you are looking for, specifically, the fact that you are seeking compensation.
Once the complaint is filed your lawyer and the lawyer for the defendant will engage in a process called discovery. Discovery is the fact gathering aspect of the process during which your lawyer will require the defendant to answer certain questions and can even conduct a deposition of the defendant. The Boulder accidental shooting lawyers at Zinda Law Group know how to elicit important evidence during this process that can greatly strengthen your likelihood of success at trial.
Once discovery is complete, trial can begin in front of a judge or jury. At trial your lawyer needs to prove every single element of your legal claim to the judge or jury. For example, if you are arguing that the person who discharged the gun that injured you was behaving negligently, your attorney will need to prove four legal elements of negligence to the judge or jury: duty, breach, causation, and damages.
Cole Gumm
Attorney
We are here to ensure you won’t have to face this difficult time alone.
Available 24 / 7|Free ConsultationYour Accidental Shooting Injury Lawyers in Boulder Can Help You Pursue Maximum Compensation
In your case, your lawyer will need to explain to the judge or jury why you are deserving of the compensation amount that you are asking for. This is an extremely important aspect of your case, which is one of the many reasons for why it is so important to have an experienced litigator on your side.
There are different forms of compensation that your personal injury lawyer can help you recover in court, oftentimes referred to as “damages.” Generally, compensation can be summed up in two categories of damages: economic damages, and non-economic damages. Economic damages compensate you for the financial harms that can be calculated, such as your medical bills and lost wages. Non-economic damages, on the other hand, compensate you for more intangible losses, such as your pain and suffering and emotional distress.
Because non-economic losses are calculated subjectively, having an experienced attorney to demonstrate your non-economic losses is important. An experienced litigator can also try to ensure that you are awarded any other types of damages that may be applicable to your case. For example, if you lost a loved one and are asserting a legal claim for wrongful death, you are entitled to compensation for burial and funeral costs. Figuring out all of the types of damages that may apply and how to prove them in court is one of the many strengths of our Boulder injury lawyers that can make an invaluable difference in your case.
Common CAUSES OF accidental shootings in Boulder, Colorado
Although accidental shootings can occur for many reasons, some common causes of accidental gunshots include:
Lack of Knowledge or Training: In Colorado, a valid state license and a background check is enough for a twenty-one-year-old to access a firearm. They don’t need to have any background knowledge or training on how to use it, clean it, or store it. Because of this, gun owners can easily cause tragic accidents when showing off a firearm to their friends or cleaning it with others present. This lack of knowledge or training causes hundreds of injuries and fatalities every year.
Negligent Handling: Even experienced or trained firearm owners can find themselves negligently handling a firearm. For example, an avid hunter who has had a few alcoholic beverages may find himself carelessly loading his rifle, or someone who conceal carries may have rushed to get ready and improperly holstered their gun. There are so many more examples of negligent handling of a firearm, all of which are dangerous.
Lack of Muzzle and or/Trigger Discipline: Experienced gun owners know how to practice muzzle discipline by keeping firearms pointed in safe directions at all times and by not touching the trigger until the very moment the handler is ready to fire. Unfortunately, not all gun owners are aware of these important safety measures.
Firearm Defects: Another common cause of accidental shootings is a defect within the firearm. Firearms can be defective in different ways. For example, they can be designed defectively, manufactured defectively, or marketed defectively. All three of these types of defects can result in accidental shootings and, as a result, injuries or fatalities.
Insufficient Supervision at Gun Ranges: Gun ranges are supposed to be the safest environments for using a gun, but that isn’t always the case. If a gun range employee is carelessly supervising customers,it can easily result in accidental shootings.
If the cause of your accidental shooting is not listed above, don’t let that stop you from calling one of our experienced Boulder injury lawyers. These are just a few of the common causes of accidental shootings, but it’s important to speak with an accidental shooting injury lawyer about your options.
Read More: Colorado Accidental Shooting Injury Lawyers
STEPS TO TAKE IMMEDIATELY AFTER AN ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING
Accidental shootings may be more common than you think, which is why it is so important to be aware of the steps you would take if you or a loved one ever find yourself in such an unfortunate situation.
1. Call the Police and Seek Medical Attention if Necessary
It may not come as a surprise that the first step you should take is always call the police and seek immediate medical attention if you were injured. Gunshot wounds can vary in degree of severity, but they can be fatal if left untreated. Once you are well enough to do so, you should report the incident to the police officers called to the scene and give them as much detail as possible. Once you are finished receiving immediate medical attention, continue to follow the doctor’s orders. Additionally, obtain copies of your medical records and document all expenses you incur as a result of the accident.
2. Document Everything
After reporting the accident to the police, you should document the scene of the accident if you can. If possible, take pictures of your surroundings and your injuries. If there were witnesses, you should try to get their names and contact information. You should also try to document any changes to your day-to-day life.You can do this in a journal. For example, write down the days you missed work and how you felt physically each day during your recovery. Memories tend to fade, which is why documenting your experience can help you and your lawyer later on.
3. Call Zinda Law Group’s Accidental Shooting Injury Lawyers
In Colorado, the statute of limitations for most personal injury claims is only two years. That means you have two years from the date of the accident to file your case in court. Although this may feel like plenty of time, there are a lot of steps your Boulder accidental shooting lawyer has to take before you file your case.Thus, the earlier you call Zinda Law Group for your case consultation, the better.
ZINDA LAW GROUP’S ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING INJURY LAWYERS IN BOULDER ARE DEDICATED TO HELPING ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING VICTIMS RECOVER
If you or a loved one have been injured in a shooting accident in Boulder, the last thing you want is to have to investigate your case yourself and pursue compensation alone. Instead, let the experienced Boulder injury lawyers take care of that for you.
Our lawyers believe that victims of such tragic accidents like accidental shootings should not have to worry about how to afford legal representation, which is why we offer 100% free case consultations and a No Win, No Fee Guarantee. That means that you don’t owe us anything unless we win your case for you. To schedule your free consultation with one of our Boulder injury lawyers, call us today at (800) 863-5312.
Meetings with attorneys are available by appointment only.
Jason Aldridge
Attorney
We have successfully represented clients in a wide variety of cases across the country.
Available 24 / 7|Free Consultation
