Hunting Accidents

Hunting accidents are always a risk when we get out into the great Maine outdoors to hunt and fish. These accidents can be very minor, but they can also be very severe, and even may lead to death. Hunting accidents can occur for a variety of reasons, and many of them often involve acts of negligent conduct. Some hunting accidents occur when Maine’s hunting and fishing rules and regulations are violated. Some hunting accidents occur when people are hunting too close to inhabited areas. Additional reasons for why hunting accidents occur, include, but are not limited to, the following:

• A hunter mistakenly believes a bystander or another hunter is the sought after game, shooting and injuring the person;
• A hunter accidentally discharges his or her weapon, shooting another person; and
• A hunter believes his or her gun is unloaded, but the gun is in fact loaded, and the gun goes off without warning.

Any injury caused by the negligent conduct of a hunter or other person present on hunting grounds could be catastrophic, leaving you or a loved one with permanent physical injuries, such as damage to internal organs, internal bleeding, loss of limb, broken bones, damage to muscles, tendons, and/or ligaments, severe head trauma, paralysis, and even death.

While hunting is an enjoyable outdoor activity for many Maine residents, it certainly carries with it the risk that a hunting accident may occur. When such hunting accidents occur, the injured victims deserve to receive compensation for their suffering. A qualified Maine hunting accident attorney will evaluate your potential claim thoroughly to determine if you may be entitled to compensation.

In some hunting accident cases, it is much easier to establish fault than in other hunting accidents. Any time a hunting accident occurs, the conduct in question is compared to what’s called the “reasonable person standard.” What this means, for example, is that if a hunter has shot and harmed a bystander, the hunter’s conduct would be compared to how a reasonable hunter would act in the same or similar circumstances.

Using the same example, if the bystander who was shot was in clear view, and the hunter could have avoided shooting the bystander, that hunter may certainly be found negligent, as an ordinary hunter under the same or similar circumstances would likely see the bystander and would be able to avoid shooting the bystander.

Further, if it is found that a hunter, bystander, or other individual on the hunting grounds has violated any Maine gaming rule or regulation, this could directly link the person’s conduct to the injuries you have suffered. In such cases, it is easier to show that some duty has been breached by violating the rules and regulations.

Because establishing fault in hunting accidents can be complicated depending on the particular facts of your potential case, it is imperative that you consult with a highly skilled Maine hunting accident attorney right away. With the help of a seasoned attorney, you will have a better understanding of what your possible remedies are for the injuries you have suffered.

At Peter Thompson & Associates, our Maine hunting accident attorneys dedicate their practice to helping injured individuals all across the state of Maine. Our law firm has three convenient office locations in Portland, which is our main office, Falmouth, and Bangor. To schedule a consultation with one of our Maine hunting accident attorneys, contact us today by calling toll-free at 1 800.804.2004, or you may contact us online and we will respond to you as soon as possible.