Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Suit filed over shooting accident

Possible that plaintiff had finger on trigger while loading gun

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By GREG MOORE
Express Staff Writer

A lawsuit has been filed against Sinclair Oil Corp., the owner of Sun Valley Resort, alleging that improper instruction at the Sun Valley Gun Club contributed to a shooting accident there last summer.

Acting as her own attorney, Salt Lake City resident Nan T. Bassett filed the suit in Blaine County 5th District Court on July 18.

The complaint states that Bassett was in Sun Valley for a convention on July 17, 2010, when she, her son and a friend decided to do some trap shooting at the gun club. Bassett told someone at the gun club that she had never shot a gun before, but was informed that she would be instructed on how to do so.

"The instructor gave a brief demonstration of how to load and shoot the gun and each participant took turns shooting at the targets," the complaint states. "At no time did the instructor give specific details and/or safety precautions related to loading the gun.

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"On one occasion when it was Ms. Bassett's turn to shoot, the instructor was not next to her. He was sitting a short ways back doing paperwork, but yelled to Mrs. Bassett to go ahead and take her turn. Mrs. Bassett went to load the gun, heard a loud shot and looked down to see blood running down her leg."

According to the complaint, the instructor yelled to Bassett that she must have had her finger on the trigger of the gun while she was loading it.

The complaint states that the shot hit the ground in front of Bassett's feet, spraying "shrapnel and gravel" into the front of her legs. She was transported to a hospital where those items were removed.

The suit asks for an unspecified amount in damages.

Greg Moore: gmoore@mtexpress.com