Rifle Explosion Causes Permanent Hearing Loss

Case Overview

This case involves a 35-year-old woman in Idaho who sustained severe injuries as a result of a gun explosion. The woman had recently purchased a rifle for recreational purposes. The incident in question occurred less than a week after the woman purchased the rifle. As she fired, the gun produced an explosion and caused permanent hearing loss. It was alleged that the woman was sold a defective gun.

Questions to the Firearms expert and their responses

Please explain your experience working with firearms and ammunition.

I have 40 years of experience in firearms identification and ballistics for forensic crime labs. I have had numerous opportunities to examine and test multiple brands of firearms. Many of the civil cases I have been involved in over the last 7 years have dealt with guns and/or ammunition that have caused a failure and normally include serious injury. This expert on Firearms obtained his master's degree in organization and administration. He completed training in law enforcement as well as training in gun powder and primer residue and specialized firearm techniques at the FBI Academy. He also completed an additional gunsmithing course. This expert is a member of a forensic science association and a firearms association. He has 4 publications and currently works as a forensic scientist at a firearms consulting firm.

About the expert

This expert on Firearms obtained his BS in Biology from Central Michigan University and his MS in Organization and Administration from Southern Illinois University. He completed his training in Law Enforcement at Lake Michigan College and his training in Gun Powder & Primer Residue and Specialized Firearm Techniques at the FBI Academy, as well as a Gunsmithing Course from Remington. He is a member of the American Academy of Forensic Scientist and the Association of Firearm & Tool Mark Examiners. He has 4 Publications and is currently a Forensic Scientist at a firearms consulting firm in the south.