Massachusetts Personal Injury Library
Coping With the Death of a Child in a Gun Accident (Part A)
Certainly, there is nothing more painful for a parent than the death of a child. It is particularly difficult when the wrongful death in Massachusetts is caused by something as sudden as a gun accident.
Gun Accident Statistics
Sadly, the annual number of deadly gun accidents involving children in the United States illustrates that too many parents are suffering these tragedies, as children’s lives are cut short by gun deaths. Listed below are statistics that reflect the state of gun safety in the United States:
- It is believed that roughly 40 percent of homes with children living in them have some form of firearm on the premises and that one-fourth of those are kept loaded.
- Nationally, more than 3,000 children die annually from gun deaths, including homicides, suicides and accidental shootings.
- In 2005, there were 27 reported gun deaths of children and teens.
These statistics reflect a startling contrast to the rest of the industrialized world, with countries like Japan, England and Germany reporting significantly fewer deaths of children to gun violence or accidents.
Those figures also demonstrate a need for higher standards for gun safety in the United States, particularly when it comes to protecting children and teens.
Until this country can find a way to balance the Constitutional right to own firearms with across-the-board adherence to gun safety, countless families will experience the extreme grief of losing a child to a gun accident.
Recovering Emotionally After a Gun Accident
When a child dies in a gun accident, parents suffer from shock, guilt, anger and depression. These are a natural and important part of the cycle of grief.
Bereaved parents are likely to experience one or many of the symptoms listed below:
- changes in appetite
- insomnia
- depression
- loneliness
- thoughts of suicide
- long bouts of crying
- deep sadness and longing for the missing child
- anger
- guilt
- frustration
- mental and physical exhaustion
- confusion
- inability to focus
- denial
- trouble coping with everyday tasks
- fear and anxiety
- poor health
- extreme stress
Next, you should consult with a Boston personal injury lawyer that specializes in child injury cases in Massachusetts. It is important that the lawyer you choose has successfully handled child accident cases and understands the intricacies of child gun deaths.
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