Alaskans love the outdoors, and hunting and gun ownership is part of the culture in Alaska. While most gun owners are responsible, firearms accidents still happen, and they can be devastating. Negligent use or storage of a gun can result in serious injury, permanent disability, or death.

If you have been injured in a hunting accident or gun accident in Alaska, you may be unable to work or care for your family, and you are probably facing a mountain of medical bills. If your injury was due to the carelessness of a gun owner, seller, or manufacturer, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries.

Attorney Eric Derleth is a native Alaskan, and he understands how important the ability to keep firearms is to residents of our state. But he also knows that it is important to respect guns, which are both useful tools and dangerous weapons. Holding negligent people accountable for their actions promotes responsible gun ownership and public safety. It also allows injury victims to get the help they deserve, and get their lives back to the extent possible after a firearms accident.

How Gun Accidents Happen in Alaska

Gun and hunting accidents happen for a variety of reasons. They include

  • Careless storage or cleaning of firearms
  • Lack of proper training for gun use
  • Using a gun while intoxicated or otherwise impaired
  • Poor maintenance of firearms
  • Discharging a firearm in a populated area
  • Unintentional discharge of a gun
  • Defective manufacture of firearms

Guns are inherently dangerous items, and it makes sense that a gun manufacturer would need to exercise a high level of care to ensure that their product operates exactly as intended to prevent unintentional injuries and death. If a gun manufacturer does not exercise the appropriate level of care, an oversensitive trigger, defective safety lock, or other defect could result in injury or death.

The sellers of guns may also have liability when someone is injured or killed. If they sell a firearm to someone who, under federal or Alaska law, should not have a weapon, their actions may lead to foreseeable harm. Lastly, owners of guns need to make sure that their guns are properly maintained and stored, and that individuals without the proper training or mental state do not have access to those weapons.

Work With an Experienced Alaska Gun and Hunting Accident Injury Attorney

If you or someone you love has been injured by the negligent use, sale, or manufacture of a gun, you have only a limited time in which to make a claim against the party responsible. That can be difficult to do when you are stressed and suffering. An experienced injury attorney can guide you through the complicated legal process and help you get the compensation you are entitled to.

Attorney Eric Derleth is known as “the Trial Guy” because of his courtroom skill and track record of success at trial. Eric is known for his intensive trial preparation and his ability to communicate with juries, persuading them of his client’s position and motivating them to act in his client’s favor.

If you have suffered an injury in an Alaska hunting accident, you have only one opportunity to recover for that injury. Make the most of it by working with an injury attorney known for outworking and outpreparing his opponents. To learn more about Alaska firearms accidents and how an attorney can help you, contact the Trial Guy. From his office in Soldotna, Eric Derleth serves clients in Anchorage, the Mat-Su Valley, Juneau, and throughout Alaska. Call 907-262-9164 today to schedule a free, confidential consultation.