When a person goes hunting in Pennsylvania, there is a chance that he or she could be accidentally shot. However, fewer than 1,000 hunters in the United States and Canada are shot in a given year.
Of those who are shot, less than 75 will die from their injuries. Those deaths tend to be due to falls or other unintended actions.
The odds of an accidental death while hunting are approximately 1 in 4,888. Compare those odds to those of other accidental deaths:
- 1 in 144 is a motor vehicle accident
- 1 in 1,188 is drowning
- 1 in 161,856 is a lightning strike
According to a study from two orthopedic surgeons, hunting victims tend to be between the ages of 24 to 44.
Falling out of trees
In addition to treatment for injuries caused by gunshot wounds, hunters are also commonly treated for injuries caused by falling out of trees. Car accidents and heart attacks while walking during a hunting trip were other common hazards that resulted in injury or death.
Alcohol rarely played a role, with only 1.5 percent of cases involving those who had been drinking.
Who’s at fault?
Those who are hurt in hunting accidents may be entitled to compensation for their injuries. The money may be awarded in a settlement or through a jury award, and it may help to make up for lost wages or pay medical expenses related to an accident. This assumes that the accident was caused by another party’s negligence. In some cases, the victim may share liability with the person who caused the injury.
