Peru, IL – Meyers, Flowers, Bruno, McPhedran & Herrmann Trial Attorneys Craig D. Brown, James A. McPhedranand Patrick J. Herrmann recently secured a $1.06 million settlement for the family of a 69-year-old man, who was tragically shot and killed in Central Illinois after a firearm was negligently entrusted to a family member.
Attorneys McPhedran, Brown and Herrmann represented the family in the wrongful death lawsuit, achieving a result that holds the firearm owner legally responsible for providing the weapon used in the fatal shooting in the Fall of 2022.
The lawsuit was filed against a man who provided access to a firearm to his grandson by marriage, who subsequently used the weapon in the shooting that took the life of our client.
Evidence uncovered during the investigation showed that in our opinion the defendant knew or should have known long before this tragic shooting that his grandson by marriage was unfit to possess a deadly weapon. Prior to the shooting, the grandson by marriage showed dangerous behavior and instability.
“This was a completely preventable tragedy,” said James A. McPhedran, Partner. “The Lauer family lost a devoted loving husband and father because a gun owner ignored obvious danger signs and allowed a deadly weapon to fall into unsafe hands.”
The case presented complex legal challenges regarding civil liability and gun owner responsibility. In many jurisdictions, establishing civil liability against a third-party gun owner for the criminal acts of another presents significant legal hurdles. Despite these challenges, Meyers, Flowers, Bruno, McPhedran & Herrmann demonstrated that the gun owner acted with negligent entrustment by providing a firearm under circumstances where he knew or should have known it posed a serious risk to public safety.
“This settlement reflects true accountability,” said Craig D. Brown, Partner. “Firearm owners have a strict legal and moral obligation to maintain safe control of their weapons. This case sends a clear message that turning a blind eye to firearm safety carries real legal consequences.”
If you or a loved one has been impacted by gun violence, we want to hear from you. Call Meyers, Flowers, Bruno, McPhedran & Herrmann at 815-223-0230 or Meyers & Flowers at 630-232-6333 for your free, noobligation case evaluation.
About Meyers & Flowers
Led by Illinois Top 100 Super Lawyer and former President of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, Peter J. Flowers, the Meyers & Flowers team of experienced trial attorneys routinely take on large challenges and succeed. For more than two decades, the firm has represented clients both locally in Chicago and nationally in a full spectrum of cases involving catastrophic personal injuries, sexual abuse, medical malpractice, product liability, and corporate litigation.
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