UPI
LOS ANGELES — A California appeals court has reinstated a lawsuit against gun maker Glock Inc. by a police officer paralyzed after his 3-year-old son accidentally shot him.
A Los Angeles judge dismissed a suit brought two years ago by Enrique Chavez, who claimed his service pistol, a Glock 21 handgun, had a light trigger pull and lacked a grip safety, an attached device that requires deactivation before firing.
The judge said the Los Angeles Police Department had reviewed the gun’s design, including the force required to pull the trigger, and concluded its advantages outweighed any risks, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Wednesday.
The California Second Court of Appeal said Tuesday a jury could conclude a grip safety strong enough to withstand a 3 year-old’s grasp “would minimize the risk of accidental discharge without undermining performance,” and in a 3-0 ruling, allowed the case to continue.
Chavez was shot in the back in 2006 while driving. His son had found the gun while riding in the back seat of the vehicle, the newspaper said.
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