When Hunters Make Mistakes

Lots of people enjoy hunting, for a variety of reasons.  No one goes on a hunt thinking their weekend will be marred with serious injuries—or even fatalities.  But when accidents occur involving hunting weapons, lives may be altered indefinitely.  If your hunting outing turns to disaster, contacting a local personal injury attorney to deal with the aftermath may be a wise decision.

Why People Hunt 

The reasons people love to hunt are as varied as the hunters themselves.  In general, experts say the main draw to the sport can be boiled down to four basic concepts:

• It’s a way to become one with nature and meld with the great outdoors;
• It is a way to provide food;
• It helps friends and family bond over common rituals, goals, and experiences;
• It helps people develop a respect for and connection to wildlife.

 Safety Rules 

There are, of course, certain risks inherent to hunting, Important safety tips for hunters include:

• Keep guns unloaded and secured when not in use;
• Unload firearms when in a vehicle or on a 4-wheeler;
• Always keep the barrel of the gun pointed away from people;
• Always treat guns as though they’re loaded (even if you’re positive they’re not);
• Never take a shot unless you’re 100 percent certain of the target, as well as anything that might be behind it;
• Never use drugs and/or alcohol when handling guns;
• Wear hunter orange to be more visible;
• Affix tree stands to strong, healthy trees;
• Use a strong safety harness in the stand;
• Make sure others know of your location.

Accidents Still Occur 

Knowing hunter safety tips is one thing; following them, and relying on others to do so, may sometimes prove to be a bit more daunting. Hunting fatalities nationwide are relatively rare, with just one fatality occurring for about every 5,000 hunters.  Accidents do result in a significant number of injuries, however, with about 123,000 reported annually.  Here in Maryland, we are no stranger to them:

In 2022, there were several reported accidents:

• One man was shot in the leg by a child in his own hunting party;
• A man shot himself in the foot by accident;
• A man fell and accidentally discharged an arrow from his crossbow, which wound up in his leg.

After a Serious Accident 

If you or a loved one has been seriously harmed, or even killed, due to the negligence of another hunter, moving forward can be a difficult thing to contemplate.  At The Law Office of Hammad S. Matin, P.A. our La Plata & Waldorf personal injury lawyers know just how to proceed.  Schedule a free, confidential consultation to discuss the details of the accident and the path to receiving damages.

Source:

humansandnature.org/why-hunt