Remington class action settlement specifically indicates the trigger mechanisms in the company’s guns are defective in design.
Remington rifles claim to lead the way in accuracy and reliability. The company has been around since 1816, with its Model 700, unveiled 50 years ago, a well known favorite to buyers. However, millions of Remington rifles have been found to be defective, which owners are rightfully viewing as a safety concern. Namely, the guns have been found to fire without pulling a trigger, posing a serious, life threatening defect. Two dozen deaths have been linked to guns misfiring, and a class action lawsuit has been filed seeking $12.5 million, which Remington is hoping to settle in order to cease paying fees for continued litigation.
The class action lawsuit specifically indicates the trigger mechanisms with a trigger connector are defectively designed, and that between “May 1, 2006, and April 9, 2014, the X-Mark Pro mechanism assembly process created the potential for the application of an excess amount of bonding agent, which could cause Model 700 or Seven bolt-action rifles containing such trigger mechanisms to discharge without a trigger pull under certain limited conditions.” According to the settlement site, which was created to provide consumers with information related to the case, class members may be entitled to: (1) have their trigger mechanism retrofitted with a new X-Mark Pro or other connectorless trigger mechanism at no cost to the class members; (2) receive a voucher code for Remington products redeemable at Remington’s online store; and/or (3) be refunded the money they spent to replace their Model 700 or Seven’s original Walker trigger mechanism with an X-Mark Pro trigger mechanism.
Remington has steadfastly denied its products pose any safety threat, although sources believe that the company has been holding onto internal documents since the 1940s which prove it’s been aware of the trigger issue. The company claims the proposed link to the gun owners’ deaths is unwarranted, is standing behind its 200 year reputation as a leader in the industry, and is continuing to manufacture the products.
Attorney generals in nine U.S. states and the District of Columbia are urging against the class action settlement. They do not believe it adequately notifies the public of the urgency of these safety issues and are assuming Remington’s stance and reputation is likely to persuade consumers into continuing to buy the guns anyway. The group is led by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey. She is followed by Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington and the District of Columbia. All believe the settlement needs to better educate consumers on the safety concerns before it is approved.
The ineffectiveness of the settlement language has been supported by the limited number of buyers who have decided to return their guns for repairs after learning of the defective triggers. The judge has sent the parties back time and again to better educate the public. In one year’s time, the number of returns has increased from roughly 2,000 to 19,000. However, this is still minuscule in comparison to the 7.5 million guns sold.
The parties have until Tuesday, January 24th, to respond to the states’ concerns.
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