Study: Dramatic Increase in Non-Powder Gun Injuries to Children

 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Cook County personal injury lawyer

A new study conducted by the Stanford University School of Medicine discovered that the number of eye injuries sustained by children from non-powder guns has increased sharply within a two year period. In fact, these injuries rose by more than 500 percent.

Instead of using gunpowder to fire, non-powder guns utilize compressed air or springs. Examples of the types of non-powder guns included in the study were air, BB, paintball, and pellet guns. These items have experienced a surge in popularity over the past few years,  and according to statistics, there are approximately 3.2 million non-powder guns sold in this country every year.

Researchers analyzed the number of reported eye injuries, caused by non-powder guns, which occurred between 2010 and 2012. The data used came from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System.

The numbers revealed that in 2012, more than 3,000 children ended up in emergency rooms because of non-powder gun eye injuries. There were more eye injuries caused by the guns than the combined total of eye injuries caused by baseball, hockey, tennis, and fireworks. Medical records show that many of these eye injuries resulted in permanent damage to the child’s eyesight.

The majority of the injuries came from air guns. Researchers noted that the number of eye injuries caused by paint guns has decreased since 2006 because of the use of face masks, which players often wear for protection.

It is not just children who are at risk for injury from non-powder guns. Numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that in a ten-year period, 209,981 people in this country were injured - 145,423 were children. In just one year, there were 16,451 people injured. Over 10,000 of those victims were children. Additionally, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that four people are killed every year by BB or pellet guns.

If your child or another family member has suffered injuries caused by a non-powder gun, contact an experienced Orland Park personal injury attorney to find out what legal recourse you may have. You may be entitled to collect for damages for those injuries, including medical expenses, loss of income, and permanent damage.