SIG Sauer's bid to get $2.3M verdict tossed misfires
Robert Lang claimed SIG Sauer — whose U.S. headquarters is in Newington — defectively designed its P320 model and failed to warn customers about the potential for it to discharge unintentionally. A federal jury in Atlanta agreed.
Lang, 37, claimed the pistol fired while inside the holster, where he couldn't reach the trigger, as he attempted to unclip the holster from his belt. He said a bullet tore through his upper right thigh, exiting just above his knee.
The jury found that Lang was not negligent in handling his SIG Sauer pistol, which he bought in March 2018 for just over $700.
The incident happened in December 2018 at Lang's home.
According to the latest court order, the gunmaker failed to meet the burden for a new trial and failed to justify its requested reduction in the jury's damages award.
One of Lang's attorneys, Robert Zimmerman,
said, "The jury heard and understood the evidence. The court in great detail identified the significant record that the jury based its decision on.
"The only ones not listening, unfortunately, are those at SIG Sauer who refuse to change the P320's design before more law enforcement officers and law-abiding gun owners are injured or killed."
In a statement, SIG Sauer said it "strongly disagrees" with the verdict and will be appealing the decision "on multiple grounds."
"In this case, the plaintiff, Mr. Lang, initially admitted to the police that he accidentally discharged his gun while pulling it out of the holster, then later changed his story, stating that the firearm discharged without a trigger pull," the statement reads.
"However, the Plaintiff's story notably changed again, after hiring trial experts who agreed that the SIG Sauer P320 could not discharge without the trigger being pulled. Plaintiff and both his experts testified, however, that they do not know what pulled the trigger or how the trigger was pulled, and they did not attempt to conduct any testing to confirm how the trigger could have been pulled, other than by Mr. Lang's own finger."
"SIG Sauer does not believe that Plaintiff has met his burden in this case to prove that the P320 model pistol was designed defectively or negligently, and there are no facts on the record that Mr. Lang's discharge was the result of anything other than his own negligent handling which caused him to pull the trigger on the P320 pistol."
The statement goes on to say the design of the SIG Sauer P320 model pistol is "truly innovative and safe," with multiple patents relating to safety mechanisms.
In the court order, Judge Eleanor Ross writes attorneys for SIG Sauer argued in favor of reducing Lang's pain and suffering award from $2.3 million to $500,000, bringing the total jury award to $550,963.43.
"The court finds that the jury's verdict is not 'so exorbitant and flagrantly outrageous as to shock the moral sense' or 'create a clear implication of bias, prejudice, or gross mistake by the jurors,'" the order states. "The jury made its award 'in its enlightened conscience' and based upon proper evidence."
The P320, which was introduced in 2014, is one of the most popular guns in the U.S., with more than 2.5 million sold, according to the company.
Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky PC represents more than 100 P320 victims.
In November, a jury in Philadelphia awarded $11 million in damages to U.S. Army veteran George Abrahams, who claims his SIG Sauer P320 pistol fired in its holster without his hands touching the gun.
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Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Yahoo
Sig Sauer's P320 banned by Chicago Police Department and other law enforcement agencies
Since its release in 2014, the Sig Sauer P320 has heavily advertised its modularity features. Its visibility was only bolstered in 2017, when the U.S. Army selected the P320 as its new M17/M18 pistol under the Modular Handgun System competition over complaints from rival Glock. But that's not the only attention the weapon received Around the same time the Army was embracing the Sig Sauer P320 as its new official sidearm, it began gaining a reputation for controversy, with numerous investigations and lawsuits surrounding it. Videos posted on the internet showed that the P320 could fire if dropped at a certain angle or was struck on the back of the slide. The handgun was not recalled; however, Sig Sauer offered a voluntary trigger upgrade and implemented changes to P320 production in the future. Aside from the impact-firing issue, the P320 has also come under legal fire for 'uncommanded discharges,' a very nice way of saying the weapon could fire even if someone hadn't pulled the trigger. Plaintiffs, ranging from law enforcement professionals to experienced civilian owners, allege that their P320 fired without the trigger being pulled, often while the handgun was holstered. Reports like these can even be found involving the military version of the P320, like the case of a Marine Corps-issued M18 pistol going off in its holster. In June 2024, a federal jury in Georgia awarded Robert Lang $2.3 million in a lawsuit against Sig Sauer for his P320 shooting him in the thigh as he removed it from its holster. Five months later, a Philadelphia jury awarded an Army veteran $11 million after his personal P320 shot him in the thigh while it was holstered. Those are just the military-related complaints. Sig Sauer vowed to appeal these rulings and maintains that the P320 is safe and cannot fire without the trigger being pulled. Law enforcement officers have filed similar complaints—and in some cases, personal lawsuits. Despite Sig's assurances, multiple law enforcement agencies across the country have banned the P320 following incidents of similar uncommanded discharges. In 2017, after discharge issues with the P320 first surfaced, the Dallas Police Department suspended use of the P320 as a safety precaution. While the standard-issue sidearm for the Dallas PD is the Sig Sauer P226, other handguns, including various models of Glock pistols, are approved for use. The department has not reversed its suspension of the P320 since. In 2019, Officer Craig Jacklyn of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) experienced an uncommanded discharge of his issued P320 while on patrol. Jacklyn is a Marine Corps veteran who served as a Marksmanship Instructor and spent over two decades with SEPTA as a law enforcement officer. Shortly after the incident, a SEPTA investigation concluded that there was no cause for the uncommanded discharge, and the agency made an emergency purchase of 350 Glock 17 pistols and holsters to replace the P320. In 2022, the Milwaukee Police Department announced that it would replace the P320 with the Glock 45 as the department-issued duty weapon. The decision was made following multiple unintended discharges within the department, which prompted the Milwaukee Police Association to file a lawsuit against the city. MPD reported that three officers had been injured since 2020. In October 2024, the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission (WSCJTC) imposed a temporary ban on the handgun following an uncommanded discharge by a recruit with an issued P320. Both the recruit and the firearms instructor at the scene affirmed that the trigger was not pulled. Following a thorough review by the WSCJTC, which involved law enforcement professionals from across the state and representatives from Sig Sauer, the ban became permanent in February 2025. 'My position has to be safety because we know so much now that if I make a different decision, I don't feel like I'm being responsible,' WSCJTC Executive Director Monica Alexander told KING 5 News. In April 2025, the Denver Police Department notified officers who qualified with the P320 that the weapon is 'No longer considered safe for duty or backup carry.' The department confirmed that its Firearms Unit evaluated the P320 and was able to recreate safety issues. Interestingly, the department's ban came a month before a YouTube video was posted by LFD Research, which documents their recreation of an issue that allows the P320 to fire without the trigger being pulled. The Denver Police Department has not specified the issue recreated by its Firearms Unit. Perhaps the most significant ban on the P320 is by the Chicago Police Department, the second-largest police department in the nation. An affidavit by CPD Range Master Sgt. Wasim M. Said affirms that the department's Firearms Training Section reported possible issues with the P320. Said's investigation into the P320 revealed at least 33 officers injured across 18 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Although Said and the FTS could not replicate a problem on six of CPD's P320s, FTS temporarily suspended the P320 as a Prescribed Duty Weapon on February 28, 2025. On April 7, 2025, Said's findings were presented to the CPD Arsenal Committee, which voted unanimously to phase out the P320. On April 18, 2025, the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police penned a letter to CPD's Superintendent regarding the decision by the Arsenal Committee. The letter notes that Chicago Police Academy recruits had already been notified that the P320 is no longer prescribed for purchase or use and calls for prompt action to mitigate the risk to both police officers and citizens. We Are The Mighty is a celebration of military service, with a mission to entertain, inform, and inspire those who serve and those who support them. We are made by and for current service members, veterans, spouses, family members, and civilians who want to be part of this community. Keep up with the best in military culture and entertainment: subscribe to the We Are The Mighty newsletter. SIG P320 engineering review recommended in Marine Corps report SIG Sauer's legal battles and why the XM7 might not replace the M4 The military's latest handgun might not be safe
CBS News
24-06-2025
- CBS News
Former Colorado councilman accused of shooting teen in the face going to trial
The former Colorado town councilman who's accused of shooting a teenager outside his home will go to trial, court records show. Brent Metz was arrested outside his Conifer home in September 2024 after the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said he shot a 17-year-old boy in the face. Metz's attorney says the shooting was accidental and that Metz's gun went off without him pulling the trigger. Two teen boys hopped the fence of the property to ask the homeowner for permission to take homecoming photos at the property, according to the sheriff's office. When no one answered the door, they returned to their car and started writing a letter seeking permission to take the photos at the house. Metz's girlfriend, who was home at the time, saw the boys on security cameras and called Metz and 911. Metz is charged with second-degree assault with a deadly weapon resulting in serious bodily injury, two counts of menacing with a weapon, and illegal discharge of a firearm -- all felonies. He pleaded not guilty in April. Brent Metz, right, is seen leaving the Jefferson County Courthouse on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. CBS Metz's attorney, Chris Decker, told CBS News Colorado in May that the gun Metz used that day -- a Sig Sauer P320 -- is at the center of several safety recalls and lawsuits, both resolved and ongoing, due to instances of it reportedly going off without the trigger being pulled. The sheriff's office confirmed that was the firearm model recovered from the scene. The sheriff's office is doing forensic tests of the gun that was recovered and Decker said he ordered an independent investigation of the gun, the findings of which, he said he plans to present in court. A 15-year-old friend of the boy who was shot, and who was sitting in the car with the 17-year-old at the time of the shooting, also told investigators he didn't believe the shooting was intentional and said he heard Metz say "Oh s..., my gun went off." The teens are not being identified due to their age, and a sheriff's office spokeswoman said investigators don't believe they had criminal or malicious intent when they entered Metz's property. The letter seeking permission to use the property was partially written when the boy was shot and investigators say they recovered that at the scene. Decker confirmed on Monday that the case is set to go to trial in January but didn't have any additional comment on the case. In May, Metz was recalled as a councilman in Mountain View, a town of about 500 residents in the Denver metro area about 30 miles northeast of Conifer, a town official confirmed. Of the 200 votes in that recall, 128 residents voted to remove Metz and 72 voted to keep him. "We, the undersigned, are calling for the immediate recall of Brent J. Metz from his position on the Town Council due to a significant loss of trust, safety concerns, and recent criminal charges that have further undermined his ability to lead effectively," a letter from community members leading the recall effort read, in part. "In light of recent events, including criminal charges brought against Councilmember Metz, it has become clear that his actions no longer reflect the integrity and responsibility required of an elected official. These charges have not only damaged his reputation but have also cast a shadow over the trust and confidence our community once placed in him. His continued presence on the Council raises serious concerns about the safety of our town and the integrity of our local government." The ballot also included a letter from Metz. That full letter appears below: Mountain View Neighbors, as your Council Member, I have worked to meet my neighbors and learn their individual stories. These perspectives have helped inform my legislative decisions. Unfortunately, the legislative process for a diverse community generally results in some being unhappy. This is often a sign of appropriate compromises to achieve successful legislation. Last September, I was involved in a difficult situation outside this community. This involved the unintentional discharge of a firearm. The media attention surrounding this has not been accurate, fair, or supported by the underlying facts. While I am not at liberty to fully discuss this matter, I can say this, I am not guilty of the unresolved charges against me and have full faith that the ongoing judicial process will result in the same determination. Everyone who knows me well understands that I have lived a life of service to others, as an Eagle Scout, a member of the military, a parent, and my years dedicated to this town. Please trust the legal system before you make conclusions, trust my character as demonstrated over a life of service, provide me the opportunity to continue serving the community that I love. Sincerely, Brent Metz.
Boston Globe
20-06-2025
- Boston Globe
Sig Sauer, faced with lawsuits over a popular pistol, gets protection in New Hampshire
Advertisement Those who have sued Sig Sauer in New Hampshire and elsewhere include police, federal law enforcement officers, and other experienced gun users from multiple states who say they were wounded by the gun. Get N.H. Morning Report A weekday newsletter delivering the N.H. news you need to know right to your inbox. Enter Email Sign Up The manufacturer has prevailed in some cases. It is appealing two recent multimillion-dollar verdicts against it, in Pennsylvania and Georgia. George Abrahams a U.S. Army veteran and painting contractor in Philadelphia who won his case, said he had holstered his P320, put it in the pocket of his athletic pants and zipped it up before going downstairs. 'All I did was come down the stairway and there was a loud explosion, and then the excruciating pain and bleeding,' he told The Associated Press in 2022. He said the bullet tore through his right thigh. The company, which employs over 2,000 people in a state with permissive gun laws, says the P320 has internal safety mechanisms and 'has undergone the most rigorous testing and evaluation of any firearm, by military and law enforcement agencies around the world.' It says the problem is user error or incompatible holsters, not the design. Advertisement 'Do you want people to be able to sue car manufacturers because they sell cars that don't have air conditioning?' state Rep. Terry Roy, a Republican from Deerfield, told the House during debate in May. Opponents criticized the bill as a special exemption in liability law that has never been granted to any other New Hampshire company. 'I think there is a difference between helping out a large employer and creating an exemption that actually hurts people and doesn't give them their day in court,' state Rep. David Meuse, a Democrat from Portsmouth, said in an interview. His district covers Newington, where Sig Sauer is headquartered. A 2005 federal law gives the gun industry broad legal immunity. New Hampshire was already among 32 states that have adopted gun immunity laws in some form, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Some states also have repealed gun industry immunity statutes or weakened them. Sig Sauer seeks help A Sig Sauer executive asked New Hampshire lawmakers for help in April, two weeks after a Pennsylvania-based law firm filed its most recent lawsuit in federal court in Concord on March 26 over the design of the P320. The firm represents over 100 people who have filed such lawsuits, including more than 70 in New Hampshire. 'We're fighting all these court cases out of town and every single court case we have to fight takes away money from Granite State residents and workers that we can employ and technology,' testified Bobby Cox, vice president of governmental affairs for the company. Advertisement The measure took effect once Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed it on May 23. Legislators said it doesn't apply to the current lawsuits. However, lawyers for Sig Sauer mentioned it as part of their argument to dismiss the March case or break up and transfer the claims of 22 plaintiffs to court districts where they live. A hearing on the matter is set for July 21. Ayotte's office did not respond to an AP request seeking comment, but it told The Keene Sentinel that she's 'proud to protect New Hampshire companies that create thousands of good-paying jobs from frivolous lawsuits.' 'Out-of-state trial lawyers looking to make money will not find a venue in New Hampshire,' Ayotte's office said in an emailed statement to the newspaper. Robert Zimmerman, the plaintiffs' lead attorney in Pennsylvania, said the goal of the lawsuits is to get the weapon's design changed so that it's safe for the people who use it. New Hampshire was the chosen location because federal rules allow lawsuits against a company in its home state, Zimmerman said. Those lawsuits have been assigned to one federal judge in Concord. 'Sig is trying to strategically decentralize this case and make every client go to 100 different courthouses and slow down the process for both sides to get a just outcome, which is a trial that is decided on the merits,' Zimmerman said in an interview. Sig Sauer gets protection The lawsuits accuse Sig Sauer of defective product design and marketing and negligence. During the House debate, Roy said he owns a P320 and it's one of his favorite guns, 'but you can buy them with or without safeties.' Advertisement The plaintiffs say 'the vast majority' of P320 models sold don't come with the safety, 'even as an option.' Sig Sauer says some users prefer the faster draw time granted by the absence of an external safety; others want the feature for added security. Sig Sauer offered a 'voluntary upgrade' in 2017 to include an alternate design that reduces the weight of the trigger, among other features. The plaintiffs' lawyers say the upgrade did not stop unintentional discharges. States, industries and immunity 'It's not a great look' when a manufacturer can carve out a statutory exemption for itself, but it's also not unusual, said Daniel Pi, an assistant professor at the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law. In Tennessee, Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill in 2023 following a deadly school shooting that gives gun and ammunition dealers, manufacturers and sellers additional protections against lawsuits. This year, Tennessee lawmakers passed another bill to further limit liability for gun companies. In a different industry — pesticides — governors in North Dakota and Georgia signed laws this year providing legal protections to Bayer, the maker of Roundup, a popular weed killer. Bayer has been hit with 181,000 claims alleging that the key ingredient in Roundup causes non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Bayer disputes those claims. The Louisiana Legislature passed a bill that would protect nursing homes from most lawsuits and cap damages. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry hasn't acted on it yet.
