Sig Sauer Must Face NY Detective's Lawsuit Over Accidental Gun Discharge

Sig Sauer Must Face NY Detective's Lawsuit Over Accidental Gun Discharge

A New York police detective's lawsuit against Sig Sauer over an accidental discharge of his P320 pistol during training has been revived by a federal appeals court. The court ruled that a jury could reasonably find the gun's design defective.

Incident Details

Troy Police Detective Michael Colwell suffered a leg injury in June 2021 when his department-issued P320 discharged while holstered. Colwell claims he never touched the trigger.

Court Ruling

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 decision, reinstated Colwell's claims. Judge Gerard Lynch wrote that jurors could use common sense to determine whether the accident would not have occurred if the pistol had an external tabbed trigger safety.

Sig Sauer's Defense

Sig Sauer maintains that the P320 cannot fire without a trigger pull. The company faces dozens of similar lawsuits. Attorney Robert Zimmerman noted over 500 reported unintended discharges.

Dissenting Opinion

Judge Richard Sullivan dissented, arguing that the cause of the discharge involves complex physics and engineering beyond ordinary jurors' understanding, leaving them to guess.