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Gun Class Action Over Trigger Defect Settles, Maker Issues Recall While Denying Defect

By George Khoury, Esq. on March 17, 2017 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Remington, the gun maker, has finally settled the massive class action brought against it by gun owners over the defective, extra hair-trigger on certain models. Despite the fact that as part of the settlement Remington has agreed to replace the defective triggers in nearly 7.5 million guns, they refuse to actually admit there is a defect. Remind you of anyone?

Remington's refusal to accept fault, despite agreeing to replace the part plaintiffs claimed was defective, isn't even the most shocking part. As the judge noted, the settlement resolves a potential $500 million of liability for just $3 million. Furthermore, there is a serious problem in logic with the settlement terms due to a recall being issued while the company steadfastly maintains that there is no problem with the triggers that are the subject of the recall (and that have been shown to go off due to a speck of dust).

Court Approves Settlement

Despite pressure from numerous interested non-parties to deny the settlement in order to hold Remington more accountable, the federal judge overseeing the matter approved the settlement. The judge rationalized that Remington's willingness to replace the defective parts would go a long way toward preventing future accidental injuries by having a significant number of the guns fixed.

However, as many critics of the settlement stated, the expected claim rate for the trigger recall is extraordinarily low. Despite having been open for some time now (claims were requested well in advance of this approval), less than 0.3% of claims have been made. On top of the problem of gun owners being relatively cagey about giving up their firearms for any reason, many believe Remington intentionally is not doing enough to spread the word about the recall. Also, several older models cannot be fixed due to age, and therefore, claimants will receive coupons for less than $15 towards the purchase of a new Remington.

To see if your Remington qualifies for the trigger recall, you can check the class action claims website to find out more.

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