Maison Law represents families who lose loved ones in heartbreaking gun and hunting accidents. We help victims and families hold careless hunters, gun owners, hunting outfitters, and gun manufacturers fully responsible for an injury or a tragic death. Our California hunting accident lawyers offer a free, confidential case consultation to all family members. Schedule a case review to find out how much in support an insurance company should provide your family after a tragedy.
Do I Need a Lawyer After a Hunting Accident?
If you are seriously hurt in a hunting accident, or your family has lost a loved one to an accident, and a careless individual or business was to blame, you should talk over your case with a skilled attorney. If your injuries are very minor, you may not need an attorney’s help. But when someone is seriously hurt, or someone is killed through negligence, it’s important that victims and families ensure they get the most in support available.
Unfortunately, insurance companies for those at fault will fight harder over liability in the accident when hospital bills and other damages run higher. Insurers will hope to shift blame in the accident or to downplay the injuries involved so they get out of offering a fair settlement check.
A California Wrongful Death Attorney safeguards the family’s rights and helps them demand justice and financial support. A skilled lawyer makes sure families are awarded all benefits available. A personal injury lawyer files a wrongful death claim and protects the family’s interests. A Maison Law representative also handles the frustrating negotiations with insurance companies with as little disruption to a grieving family as possible.
Common Hunting Dangers In California
Hunters owe anyone they hunt with and other property owners and nearby residents a “duty of care” under California law. It means they must act with the safety of others in mind. They must also avoid reckless behavior that could hurt someone. They must also show this care and caution to others using the forest, property owners, and nearby residents.
The same duty is required of businesses that take hunters into the wildness and ranches that provide excursions to hunters.
In the last year in which data was made available by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, 2016, there were 14 hunting accidents documented. Those accidents resulted in at least three deaths across the state.
The year before there were 7 hunting accidents with one fatality reported. In 2014, there were 10 accidents with one death recorded. It remains to be seen just how many people will suffer injury due to hunting accidents in 2024 and beyond.
The department noted several common reasons for the hunting accidents:
- Careless handling of firearm
- Firing when unaware of the location of other hunters
- Not properly identifying the target
- Stumbling and falling
- Running with firearm
- Faulty firearm
These are some other mistakes that can lead to devastating California hunting accidents:
- Hunters improperly storing and securing guns
- Errant shots sending bullets into residential areas
- Inexperienced hunters
- Hunting Outfitters and Ranches with untrained and un-certified staff
- Unsafe conditions caused by hunting outfitter businesses
- Unsafe and unmaintained firearms provided
- Lack of safety equipment provided
- Unsafe decisions made around wild animals
These and other mistakes can cause serious accidents and permanent disabilities and can claim lives. The victims of hunting mishaps hurt by a hunter’s or a business owner’s negligence should never face the costs of recovery alone. The families who lose loved ones due to a hunter’s careless mistake also shouldn’t face the financial burdens that arise after a death by themselves. A California hunting accident attorney with Maison Law can handle the frustrating battle with insurance companies to earn support. This is a time that victims and their families can use to heal and rebuild their lives.
Who Is Responsible for My Hunting Accident Injury?
Anyone who contributed to a hunting accident could be involved in a personal injury claim. Your Maison Law attorney will investigate to determine who should be providing you with support. In some cases, that may be several parties.
A hunter may have been swinging a gun around on some game carelessly when a gun went off and shot you. The gun maker may have also made the shotgun with certain flaws that made it more likely to go off accidentally and hurt someone.
Your lawyer would file an injury claim against anyone who played a role in what happened. This would give you a better chance to secure enough in compensation to pay every recovery bill. It would also give families a chance to earn financial support from every party that contributed to a tragedy.
These are just a few of the parties that may be held accountable after a California hunting accident:
- Negligent Hunters
- Negligent Gun Owners
- Property Owners
- Hunting Outfitters and Other Business Owners
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Gun Manufacturers
The State of California could be sued after a hunting accident if a department or employee created the hazard that left you hurt. You might get hurt at a hunting facility maintained by the state. The state may have failed to respond to the report of an unsafe hunter, leaving you to get hurt by the mistakes of someone who should have been stopped.
Hunting outfitter businesses and ranches that provide hunting experiences will be covered by commercial liability insurance. Hunters and property owners may be covered by homeowners insurance policies, allowing their victims to seek support.
Earning Compensation for Hunting Accident Victims and Their Families
California’s personal injury claim statute of limitations stands at two years. You have two years from the date of the accident to file a claim to get help with your recovery costs. Act quickly and don’t wait months or years to file. The longer you wait to get your case underway, the harder time your personal injury lawyer will have gathering additional evidence and tracking down witnesses to build your case.
In a successful case that earns an insurance settlement or judgment, you can receive compensation for every hardship you and your family have faced. Your lawyer makes sure every damage you’ve endured is listed on an injury claim. Anything left off would be something left off that would end up as your bill to pay.
A hunting accident settlement check should cover…
- All Present and Future Medical Bills.
- Rehab Treatment and Medical Equipment.
- Life-long treatment for a permanent disability such as an amputation or vision damage due to a negligent shooting.
- Travel Costs to Appointments Locally and in Other Cities.
- Lost Income While Missing Work.
- Permanent Disability/Disfigurement Support.
- Pain and Emotional Trauma.
- Loss of Enjoyment of Life. (When victims can no longer participate in family activities and hobbies like hunting)
- Wrongful Death Benefits.
Families who lose a loved one to a careless hunting accident can seek justice through a wrongful death claim. Close relatives would demand help with funeral costs and in paying remaining hospital bills. They should also receive support for the future when they’ll be without the care and financial support the deceased can no longer provide.
A skilled California wrongful death lawyer can file a wrongful death claim on behalf of the entire family. A lawyer would also gather evidence so that an insurance company couldn’t shift blame in the accident or try to offer the family far less than they’ll need to protect their futures.
What If My Child Is Accidentally Shot in a Hunting Accident
Children are most vulnerable to traumatic injuries and their recoveries can take much longer or result in long-term problems. They can be shot when they aren’t being monitored by those taking them out in the forest. Children can also get access to rifles that aren’t properly secured and end up causing themselves harm.
Maison Law’s experienced lawyers working on cases involving children know that earning support for future medical care is important. Children may appear to heal from a hunting injury, only to have an injury flare up in their teen years as they start to grow into adulthood. Additional surgeries and physical therapy may become necessary to make sure the victim matures without issues. These physical and financial issues shouldn’t be something the victim’s family should have to cover.
A tragic accidental shooting can easily steal a young life, and the parents and guardians of the victim can seek support through a wrongful death claim. Among other things, parents would seek financial support for the future when they will be unable to watch a child grow up. Even though nothing can bring back the life of a loved one, parents should receive support for the love and companionship that’s been lost.
Contact a California Hunting Accident Attorney
After a hunting accident, be sure to discuss your case with an experienced California hunting accident lawyer. You should be able to focus on your recovery without worrying about hospital bills piling up and the paychecks you’re missing while out of work.
Allow Maison Law to go to work on your case to secure the most compensation possible for your recovery. We also want to help the families of victims earn justice after a fatal hunting accident. Contact us today for a free case evaluation to find out how we can assist you. There’s no obligation and your case review is completely confidential.
Keep in mind that you don’t need to worry about having the money to pay a Maison Law attorney if you need one. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of the settlement money an at-fault party is forced to provide.
