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Posted: 9/8/2004 6:29:54 PM EDT
[#1]
I saw that too. It's worded kinda strange but it does look like the slip and fall lawyer gor half a mill out of Bushmaster. I hope I am misinterpreting the news release and it was someone elses policy that got scammed...
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Posted: 9/8/2004 6:29:55 PM EDT
[#2]
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Posted: 9/8/2004 6:29:55 PM EDT
[#3]
Wow, they are going to have to sell a shitload of rifles to pay for that
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Posted: 9/8/2004 6:31:44 PM EDT
[#4]
Dude, they'll make that back by next Friday. |
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Posted: 9/8/2004 6:32:19 PM EDT
[#5]
That sucks.
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Posted: 9/8/2004 6:32:31 PM EDT
[#6]
Why should they pay anything? They did nothing wrong.
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Posted: 9/8/2004 6:32:51 PM EDT
[#7]
Do you guys understand the concept of Insurance?
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Posted: 9/8/2004 6:33:32 PM EDT
[#8]
... Call Mark and ask him
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Posted: 9/8/2004 6:34:22 PM EDT
[#9]
their insurance company probably paid it out
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Posted: 9/8/2004 6:34:25 PM EDT
[#10]
Didn't cost them all that much. |
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Posted: 9/8/2004 6:34:27 PM EDT
[#11]
Doesn't matter. While Bushmaster may not have paid out of their own pocket, it is still a frivolous claim. |
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Posted: 9/8/2004 6:35:49 PM EDT
[#12]
It sounds to me like the balance that had not been spent on legal fees on their liability insurance was $550,000, and a settlement was made amongst all parties involved (Bushmaster, Lawyers, Insurance company, and the families of the victims filing suit) to pay it out and get it overwith.
But I could be wrong. |
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Posted: 9/8/2004 6:37:47 PM EDT
[#13]
That's a paltry sum considering what it could have been. Although I don't agree with paying it, I can see why they would. How much bad publicity and possible contracts with cities across the nation would they lose due to bad publicity? Their insurance paid it and they move on. Heck, I'm not a lawyer and I could have gotten that much out of them. I'm sure they're breathing a lot easier that it was ONLY $550K. Spread that out among the victims and lawyers and it comes to peanuts.
This falls into the same category as doctors and hospitals settling even though they know they are right/innocent. It's cheaper to pay than litigate in the court of public opinion. jd1 |
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Posted: 9/8/2004 6:39:07 PM EDT
[#14]
A disagree that BM should have paid anything...did they pull the trigger? NO...
What shocks me is this. A woman can get $1mil for spilling cofee in her lap and someone only gets $1/2 for having someone shot? Who the hell taught these people math? |
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Posted: 9/8/2004 6:40:32 PM EDT
[#15]
Bushmaster to families:
"Look, we don't want to pay another dime to our or your lawyers, so if you drop this claim we'll take the rest of the insurance legal cost money and give it to you. It's either than or we'll spend every last dime fighting you in court for years to come." |
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Posted: 9/8/2004 6:41:24 PM EDT
[#16]
Wednesday, September 8, 2004 · Last updated 6:34 p.m. PT
Lawyer: Bushmaster, Bull's Eye settle for $2.5 million in D.C. sniper shootings THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SEATTLE -- The manufacturer and dealer of the rifle used in the Washington, D.C.-area sniper shootings have agreed to pay $2.5 million in a settlement with victims' families, a lawyer said Wednesday night. The settlement with Bushmaster marks the first time a gun manufacturer has agreed to pay damages for negligent distribution of weapons, said Jon Lowy, a lawyer with the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. He helped argue the case. He said the settlement with Bull's Eye Shooter Supply is the largest against a gun dealer. "These settlements send a loud and clear message that the gun industry cannot turn a blind eye to how criminals get their guns," Lowy said. Bushmaster Firearms Inc. of Windham, Maine, agreed to pay $550,000 to eight victims of the D.C. sniper shootings. Bull's Eye Shooter Supply of Tacoma, where the snipers' Bushmaster rifle came from, agreed to pay $2 million. Defense lawyers did not immediately return calls for comment. A Pierce County Superior Court judge in Tacoma will determine how to divide the settlement among the eight plaintiffs - six families of people who were killed and two people who were injured in the shootings. John Allen Muhammad, 43, was convicted and sentenced to death for murder in one of the 10 fatal shootings in October 2002 in the Washington, D.C.-area. His coconspirator, 19-year-old Lee Boyd Malvo, was tried separately, convicted of murder in a different death and sentenced to life in prison without parole. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/aplocal_story.asp?category=6420&slug=WA%20Sniper%20Families'%20Lawsuit |
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Posted: 9/8/2004 6:43:21 PM EDT
[#17]
Exactly KA3B... some people just don't get it. Was Bushmaster in the wrong? No... but they are a business and the problem just went away without bankrupting the company, putting people out of work and denying us access to quality Bushmaster products if they closed shop.
Principle is great to talk about when it isn;t your's and your employees livelihood on the line. |
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Posted: 9/8/2004 6:45:25 PM EDT
[#18]
On edit: Never mind, but still        
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Posted: 9/8/2004 6:46:22 PM EDT
[#19]
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Posted: 9/8/2004 6:46:56 PM EDT
[#20]
A. It shouldn't have cost them anything. B. Their insurance costs will now go sky-high. C. You, and anyone else who buys ANY firearm will now pay more. Therefore, it cost EVERYONE a shit-load. But, you are right to the extent that it could have been more. Just remember John Edwards and his ilk are the only ones to make out because of this. |
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Posted: 9/8/2004 6:48:05 PM EDT
[#21]
No. Bull's Eye paid the other $2 mil. |
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Posted: 9/8/2004 6:49:06 PM EDT
[#22]
I'll gladly pay an extra $10-20 for a Bushy if it will keep them in business...  |
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Posted: 9/8/2004 6:49:26 PM EDT
[#23]
Bushmaster was most likely one of a number of defendants in that case. Probably all the defendants with insurance money threw some money into the pot to come up with a settlement. $ 550k for something like 13 people killed or wounded is chickenfeed, but then they really didn't have much (any) case.
The important thing is to settle it within the policy limits (i.e. Bushy pays nothing out of pocket) and Bushmaster goes on to continue to make rifles for the public and hand out paychecks to it's employees. |
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Posted: 9/8/2004 6:52:46 PM EDT
[#24]
It sets a precedent for other abulance chasers and the antis.
If you did nothing wrong, why pay ? |
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Posted: 9/8/2004 6:54:34 PM EDT
[#25]
This case, in the end, just helped those who will file the same claims in the future.
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Posted: 9/8/2004 6:57:09 PM EDT
[#26]
They just set a bad precident...
www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,131830,00.html Gun Maker to Pay $2.5M to D.C. Sniper Victims' Families Wednesday, September 08, 2004 SEATTLE — The manufacturer and dealer of the rifle used in the Washington, D.C.-area sniper shootings (search) have agreed to pay $2.5 million in a settlement with victims' families, a lawyer said Wednesday night. The settlement with Bushmaster marks the first time a gun manufacturer has agreed to pay damages for negligent distribution of weapons, said Jon Lowy, a lawyer with the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence (search). He also said the settlement with Bull's Eye Shooter Supply is the largest against a gun dealer. "These settlements send a loud and clear message that the gun industry cannot turn a blind eye to how criminals get their guns," said Lowy, who helped argue the case. Bushmaster Firearms (search) of Windham, Maine, agreed to pay $550,000 to eight victims of the sniper shootings. Bull's Eye Shooter Supply of Tacoma agreed to pay $2 million. Defense lawyers did not immediately return calls for comment. A judge will determine how to divide the settlement among two people who were injured in the shootings and the families of six people who were killed. John Allen Muhammad, 43, was convicted and sentenced to death for murder in one of the 10 fatal shootings in October 2002 in the Washington, D.C.-area. His co-conspirator, 19-year-old Lee Boyd Malvo, was tried separately, convicted of murder in a different death and sentenced to life in prison without parole. |
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Posted: 9/8/2004 6:57:16 PM EDT
[#27]
Beat me to it. |
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Posted: 9/8/2004 7:03:33 PM EDT
[#28]
Actually, no, there is no legal precedent... no guilt was admitted. Settlements to avoid exactly that were established long ago.
What is amazing to me is few people seem to be able to see the forrest from the trees. A successful lawsuit would have probably bankrupted Bushmaster and would have been a LEGAL precedent for future suits. What they got out of this was the chance to preach from the soapbox, but little else. Bushmaster is still in business, products are still rolling, employees still getting paid. Think of the alternative. |
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Posted: 9/8/2004 7:07:31 PM EDT
[#29]
Pay a little to avoid the risk of getting whacked for gazillion dollars at trial-that's business, balancing costs and odds. Hey I'd rather have seen Bushie skunk these lawyers, but that's easy to say when it's not my building and not my employees livelihoods at risk. |
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Posted: 9/8/2004 7:11:27 PM EDT
[#30]
It does seem strange. |
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Posted: 9/8/2004 7:17:21 PM EDT
[#31]
OTH...
I don't see MB paying for anything when the local wifey ran over her cheating husband with one of their products... I agree this type of settlement will keep the trend going.... |
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Posted: 9/8/2004 7:23:58 PM EDT
[#32]
The deal still sucks, even if it doesn't suck as much as it could have sucked.
I hope that Brady guy gets hit by meteor. |
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Posted: 9/8/2004 7:24:31 PM EDT
[#33]
interesting that a brady lawyer was involved. nice ooperation they have there.
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Posted: 9/8/2004 7:26:24 PM EDT
[#34]
Good point. Does Louisville Slugger pay whenever one of their bats is used to beat someone to death? Does Stanley pay when their claw hammer is the murder weapon of choice? Ford for an F-150 hit & run? While only the owners of Bushmaster can decide what's best for them, this case will undoubtedly perpetuate the trend toward crime victims "shotgunning" lawsuits around at every party remotely related to the crime. As another poster noted, the cost of defending against these types of suits will only drive up the cost of guns for all of us.
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Posted: 9/8/2004 7:38:32 PM EDT
[#35]
I hope you are correct, only time will tell. |
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Posted: 9/8/2004 7:42:12 PM EDT
[#36]
i can't believe bushmaster caved like this? they should have stood firm against these people and not caved like that. this will just make it easier and easier for people to sue gun manufacturers and make things harder in general.
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Posted: 9/8/2004 10:22:10 PM EDT
[#37]
How is this ANY different than what S&W did.
Anyone that hates S&W yet supports BM can lick sack.... 
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Posted: 9/8/2004 10:28:04 PM EDT
[#38]
This is a valid point, er, question??? With BM taking the position of settling out of court, do we need to start boycotting Bushmaster like we did Smith & Wesson? No intention to flame or hijak the thread, but I for one think Bushy makes a quality product, however, I am also aware their actions can affect the entire industry. |
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Posted: 9/8/2004 10:48:39 PM EDT
[#39]
For one thing the guy who gets beat to death with the hammer doesn't have Brady Foundation,George Soros and the whole fucken Democrat party supporting him ether!!!!!!!!!  Yes the deal sucks....but till we get the lawsuit protection act passed that what we are stuck with. |
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Posted: 9/8/2004 10:53:40 PM EDT
[#40]
How doomed we are when a company is sued because their produce does work. hock.gif
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Posted: 9/9/2004 2:05:09 AM EDT
[#41]
Blackmail, plain and simple. Sad that they had to cave, but when I see the boycott question raised, I start to think selfishly. I couldn't boycott BM. So, like BM, I will forsake my priciples so that I may continue to get the products I desire. Is my action really any different than what BM did ? They forsake their principles to stay in business. I'm conflicted. Soured. Frustrated.
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Posted: 9/9/2004 2:31:50 AM EDT
[#42]
Should the NAACP have to pay part of the settlement, too?
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Posted: 9/9/2004 2:43:31 AM EDT
[#43]
Oh well. Guess I'll just have to buy some more stuff from Bushmaster to let the anti's know that they're not going to be losing any business over this bullshit.
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Posted: 9/9/2004 3:43:47 AM EDT
[#44]
Absolutely! Whether or not their insurance paid this (deductable amount??), this company has just BENT OVER, and set a dangerous precedent. Now, other similar-type suits will be brought int the hopes of the same type of settlment. It won't have to be national-level-event type suits either. This is what lawyers call "settlement value." Non-lawyers call it extortion or shake-down. You do what you want, but I am going to now treat Bushmaster like I did S&W when they bent over: BOYCOTT. Hell, Bushmaster is to damn expensive anyway. Once again: the DC sniper incident was surely a tragedy, but was in no way the fault of Bushmaster. |
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Posted: 9/9/2004 3:53:25 AM EDT
[#45]
It sets a precedent for other abulance chasers and the antis.
If you did nothing wrong, why pay ? damn straight. This case, in the end, just helped those who will file the same claims in the future. damn straight. the lawyers won. everyone else lost. including us. |
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Posted: 9/9/2004 3:59:39 AM EDT
[#46]
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Posted: 9/9/2004 4:04:49 AM EDT
[#47]
most likely bushmaster didn't settle anything. My guess would be it was the insurance company that settled.
At least i hope that was the case. |
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Posted: 9/9/2004 4:27:58 AM EDT
[#48]
Elect Bush and maybe lawsuits like this will go away.
Bush has vowed over and over again for tort reform in all his speeches to avoid shit exactly like this. Not sure how far he'll get, but a president trying has to be better than a scum sucking trial lawyer in the VP seat. |
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Posted: 9/9/2004 4:59:30 AM EDT
[#49]
Yes but the Insurance company isn't going to settle without their client's consent (at least I hope not!). I see it as lawyers for BM saying, well its going to cost X million dollars to keep fighting this and maybe pay out Y million more after a trial. El gun store's insurance company is willing to pay 2 million to settle this out of court. I'm sure that 2 million was come up with after BM and the gun store's lawyers threw some figures at the victims' lawyers and then they came back with a solid number. Also it shows who was "more to blame" in some cases. The gun store's insurance company paid out 2 mil. BM only paid out 550,000 which although a lot is not really a lot. Oh yeah, and neither the gun store nor Bushmaster made the rifle and handed it to Malvo/Mohammed and then pulled the trigger for them. Settling out of court saves all parites involved from some real nasty shit. I think BM made the right choice. |
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Posted: 9/9/2004 5:02:52 AM EDT
[#50]
I guess it's just too much to ask a company to stand on principle anymore? Business is business, but without prinicples, what are we? This may not have set a legal precedent, but we all still know who won, and it will invite more of the same.
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