Serious Accidents at Gun Ranges: Liability Explained

Gun Ranges Must Prioritize Safety at All Times

Gun ranges are supposed to be controlled environments, places where safety rules are followed, supervision is constant, and risk is minimized. But when those rules slip, consequences can be devastating. A single misfire, a poorly maintained weapon, or a distracted instructor can turn a day of practice into a medical emergency.

At Horn Wright, LLP, our personal injury attorneys have represented New Yorkers injured at shooting ranges where basic safety measures were ignored. We’ve seen operators who allowed untrained guests to handle live firearms, instructors who skipped safety briefings, and facilities that cut corners on maintenance to save money. These mistakes aren’t harmless oversights. They’re acts of negligence that endanger everyone nearby.

Gun ranges have one job above all others: to make sure people leave as safely as they arrived. When they fail, they must be held accountable.

Common Causes of Gun Range Accidents in New York

Even under supervision, shooting ranges can be dangerous when protocols break down. Most incidents stem from preventable errors, lapses in attention or maintenance that expose shooters and bystanders to serious risk.

The most frequent causes include:

• Improper supervision, allowing new shooters to handle firearms without instruction.
• Mechanical malfunctions, from poorly maintained or defective guns.
• Ricochets, caused by faulty range design or worn backstops.
• Unsafe ammunition, including reloads or incompatible rounds.
• Inadequate safety barriers or signage.
• Negligent handling by other patrons, such as firing outside assigned lanes.

New York’s dense population makes many gun ranges indoor facilities. That increases risk because confined spaces amplify sound, pressure, and bullet rebound potential. Proper ventilation, lighting, and barrier materials aren’t optional, they’re life-saving requirements.

Every bullet fired represents energy that must be safely contained. When a range fails to meet that responsibility, the harm often reaches beyond the shooter to instructors, employees, and innocent bystanders.

When Range Owners or Instructors Are Liable

Determining who’s responsible after a gun range accident depends on what went wrong — and who had the power to prevent it.

Range owners can be held liable for:

• Poor facility maintenance or design.
• Failure to train staff or monitor guest activity.
• Allowing unlicensed individuals to operate the range.
• Ignoring state safety regulations.

Instructors may be liable for:

• Failing to control the firing line.
• Allowing inexperienced shooters to handle loaded weapons unsupervised.
• Neglecting to verify whether a gun was unloaded before instruction.

In some cases, liability extends to firearm manufacturers or ammunition suppliers, particularly when equipment defects contribute to injury.

Under New York law, liability is established by proving negligence, that someone owed a duty of care, breached it, and caused harm. Courts look closely at training logs, safety manuals, and surveillance footage to determine whether safety practices matched state expectations.

A properly run range has written procedures, safety officers, and functioning equipment. If any of those are missing, negligence becomes difficult to deny.

Safety Protocols Required Under State Law

Gun ranges in New York are governed by a patchwork of local and state regulations. While there isn’t a single comprehensive “range law,” several statutes and standards create clear expectations.

Key requirements include:

• Compliance with New York Penal Law §§400 and 265, which regulate licensing, firearm possession, and safety training.
• Mandatory supervision for all shooters, particularly those renting firearms.
• Secure storage and transport of guns and ammunition under the SAFE Act.
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines for indoor ranges, covering ventilation, soundproofing, and lead exposure.
• Local zoning and inspection rules, often stricter in New York City and Long Island.

These rules exist to prevent exactly the kind of accidents that keep happening when ranges cut corners. A properly maintained backstop, a working ventilation system, and constant supervision aren’t luxuries, they’re the minimum standard of care.

In our cases, we often find that a simple, low-cost fix could have prevented years of pain. The law expects range owners to know that, and act accordingly.

In Maine, Oversight of Gun Ranges Is Less Strict Than in New York

Gun range oversight varies dramatically from state to state. In Maine, regulation is limited largely to noise ordinances and basic environmental standards. There’s no statewide licensing requirement for range operators, and no mandatory safety inspections beyond local zoning.

New York, on the other hand, demands compliance with both firearm and environmental safety standards. Ranges are subject to inspection by local law enforcement, fire departments, and occasionally the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

This difference affects outcomes in injury cases:

• New York allows civil claims based on violations of specific statutes, creating clearer grounds for negligence.
• Maine relies mostly on general negligence law, requiring plaintiffs to prove each safety failure from scratch.
• Lead and ventilation violations, which trigger penalties in New York, often go unchecked in Maine.

These distinctions mean that victims injured at ranges in New York have stronger legal footing and more evidence to build on. Regulation isn’t just red tape, it’s a roadmap for accountability.

Compensation Options for Victims of Range Negligence

Victims of range-related accidents may face steep medical bills and long-term recovery challenges. Under New York civil law, they can pursue compensation for both financial and emotional losses.

Damages often include:

• Medical expenses, from emergency treatment to rehabilitation.
• Lost wages and diminished earning capacity.
• Pain and suffering, acknowledging the trauma of gun-related injury.
• Disfigurement or disability.
• Property damage, if firearms or gear were destroyed.
• Punitive damages, when the range’s conduct shows reckless disregard for safety.

If the accident results in death, surviving family members may bring a wrongful death claim under EPTL §5-4.1, seeking damages for financial support, funeral expenses, and loss of companionship.

Insurance coverage often becomes a battleground. Many ranges carry commercial liability policies that exclude “participant injuries,” forcing litigation to test coverage limits. Skilled attorneys identify every potential policy, from property owners to firearm manufacturers, to ensure victims aren’t left uncompensated.

How Lawyers Prove Fault in Gun Range Injury Claims

Gun range accident cases turn on detail. Proving fault means showing that someone ignored a rule, skipped a step, or prioritized convenience over safety. Attorneys gather extensive evidence to make that clear.

Common forms of proof include:

• Surveillance footage showing improper supervision or unsafe conduct.
• Employee training records, proving inadequate instruction or certification.
• Maintenance logs for targets, ventilation, and ballistic barriers.
• Expert testimony, explaining how the range violated accepted safety practices.
• Incident reports and prior complaints, demonstrating a pattern of negligence.

We once represented a client injured by ricochet at an indoor range. The investigation revealed the backstop hadn’t been replaced in over five years, despite multiple warnings from staff. That single finding shifted the case, turning what the owner called a “freak accident” into clear negligence.

The key is simple: every safety rule ignored becomes evidence of fault. The more systematic the failures, the stronger the claim.

Horn Wright, LLP, Holds Negligent Ranges Accountable for Accidents

No one walks into a gun range expecting danger. People go to learn, to practice, to enjoy a sport that demands discipline and respect. When a range forgets that duty, it betrays every customer who trusted it.

At Horn Wright, LLP, our personal injury attorneys fight for victims injured by negligent range operations. We uncover the lapses, track the paperwork, and bring accountability to places that advertise safety but fail to deliver it.

Whether the case involves poor supervision, structural hazards, or unsafe ammunition, our goal remains the same, to make sure no one else gets hurt in the same way. Because the right to safety doesn’t end at the firing line.