A federal judge has upheld a landmark jury award in a product liability case against New Hampshire-based gunmaker Sig Sauer.
The lawsuit involves a Georgia man who was shot without allegedly pulling the trigger of his own P320 pistol, a popular Sig Sauer model that is also at the center of dozens of other lawsuits claiming it has a design flaw that leaves it prone to unintentional discharges.
Last June, a jury in Georgia awarded Robert Lang $2.35 million in damages after he suffered a serious gunshot wound to his thigh in 2018 while removing the gun from its holster. The payout marked the first time the firearms manufacturer, based in Newington, had been found negligent by a jury for a P320 unintentionally discharging.
Sig Sauer appealed the verdict, arguing that the jury was presented with evidence that should have been blocked from the two-week trial, including testimony by two gunsmiths.
Last week, a federal judge dismissed the gunmaker’s request for a new trial, however, along with an appeal to reduce the amount of damages for pain and suffering owed to Lang to $500,000.
Lawyers for Lang praised the ruling, saying in a statement that the “jury heard and understood the evidence.”
“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,” said Robert Zimmerman, an attorney who represented Lang.
The case centered on the pistol’s lack of an external safety — described as a "tabbed" trigger in court documents — and whether the company adequately discloses the risk of unintentional discharges the gun allegedly poses.
In Lang’s case, the judge wrote that “the parties agree that something caused the trigger to pull; however, they dispute what caused the trigger to pull.”
Sig Sauer didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. It isn’t clear if the gunmaker will file any additional appeals.
Last November, a jury in Philadelphia awarded a man $11 million following a similar incident in which a P320 fired without an intentional trigger pull.
Sig Sauer’s P320 pistol is one of the country’s most popular guns, with more than 2.5 million sold, according to court records.
Since 2018, Sig Sauer has been sued dozens of times by civilians and members of law enforcement who were shot by their own P320s and make similar allegations to Lang.
In 2017, a prominent online gun shop raised concerns about the P320’s risk of firing when dropped at certain angles, which helped prompt the company to launch a voluntary upgrade of the gun, including hardware changes to the trigger and striker. The company maintains that the gun is safe, including in its original design.
That same year, the U.S. Army adopted a version of the P320 as its official sidearm in a deal originally valued at more than $500 million. The Marine Corps, Air Force and Navy followed suit in selecting the Sig Sauer pistol as its duty weapon. The military’s version of the gun, known as the M17 and M18, has an external safety.
Reporting by NHPR found that the military has recorded its own series of unintentional discharges involving the gun despite the additional safety features. The military denies the weapon poses any danger to soldiers.
