When most people think of personal injury in Homestead, they think of car accidents and injuries caused by other traffic accidents. While car accidents in Homestead are in fact one of the leading causes of injury, a new study suggests that gun accidents in the state are a major cause of injury as well. Across Florida about 40% of gun-related emergency room visits are due to accidents. According to the Orlando Sentinel and the Agency for Health Care Administration, accidental gun injuries are especially common in Orange County. Accidental gun injuries amount to $57 million in ER and hospital costs, with about half of those costs covered by Medicaid and Medicare.
In Florida, according to the Florida Center For Investigative Reporting (FCIR), homicides by gun violence have risen 38% since 2000, with about 75% of all homicides now committed with guns. During this same period, however, violent crime across the state has declined, as has the rate of homicide overall. In fact, the rate of homicide overall in Florida has dropped from 5.6 per every 100 000 people to 5.2 per 100 000 people since 2000. That is the second-lowest homicide rate since 1971.
There are safety checks intended to keep Florida residents safe. For example, when buyers purchase guns in stores they are required to undergo a background check first, and statistics show that by the end of December 2013, close to one million of these checks had been run.
Accidents can still happen and for people who have lost a child due to gun-related child injury in Homestead, especially, these types of accidents and injuries are galling. Unfortunately, many families believe that there is little that can be done in cases involving gun accidents and injuries – other than filing criminal charges. While pressing charges is one solution, however, there are other solutions.
One such solution is filing a personal injury claim. In some cases involving gun injury, a premises liability claim in Homestead is possible if a property owner did not take steps to safely secure a firearm or create a safe environment for visitors. If an injury results from gun violence, an inadequate security claim in Homestead may be possible if the property owner knew of the danger but did not take steps to warn visitors or create a safe environment. In some cases, a products liability claim is even possible if the firearm was defective and discharged incorrectly, causing injury.
If you or a loved one has been injured by a firearm, contact a personal injury attorney to discuss your options. The costs of medical care after a firearm injury may be substantial. You may need to lose time at work due to the injury and you or your loved one may need physical therapy, skin treatments, and a range of other medical treatments to treat the injury. Pursuing fair compensation can help you pay for these costs.
Would you like to speak with a personal injury attorney to find out whether you have a case? You can arrange your free, no obligation consultation with one of our attorneys by contacting Flaxman Law Group today.