Federal Judge Orders Hearing in $240 Million Defective Pistol Case

A federal judge has ordered a settlement hearing to notify a massive number of gun owners that they may have a pistol containing a deadly safety defect. The Miami judge wants to also bring public awareness of this $240 million class action lawsuit that involves  Brazil-based gun manufacturer, Taurus International.

In a press release published on PR Newswire, it’s believed that an estimated 1 million faulty pistols currently exist in American homes. A defect on safety mechanisms renders the guns vulnerable to “drop fire” incidents. It’s these handguns that are at the center of a class-action settlement before the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

One of the problems associated with this case is there’s no list or registry of owners of the firearms in question. Gun owners must do some legwork in determining if their weapons are listed on the settlement website.

Eligible owners are granted significant benefits, according to the terms of the settlement. Owners of the defective pistols have the option to exchange them with a brand new G2 model, or receive a cash payment.

The plaintiff in the hearing set for July 18 is Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Carter of Scott County, Iowa. His Taurus pistol discharged accidentally while he was apprehending a suspect. It fired regardless of the manual safety being engaged.

Carter’s attorneys —  David L. Selby II from Bailey & Glasser LLP and Todd Wheeles from Morris, Haynes, Wheeles, Knowles & Nelson — have represented clients in a number of defective firearms cases.

“Responsible gun owners desire security and protection for their lives and property. A defective handgun is the last thing anyone wants in the home,” Selby and Wheeles said. “Taurus is doing the right thing by offering to replace these weapons or buy them back, and owners should take advantage of these benefits in order to get these dangerous guns out of their homes.”

Anyone who believes they own one of the defective Taurus pistols, should visit www.TaurusCarterSettlement.com to learn more about their options.