Sig Sauer P320 Accidental Discharge Lawsuits

There’s one thing every responsible gun owner counts on above everything else: that their firearm will not go off unless they deliberately pull the trigger. That expectation is not a preference, it is a basic safety standard that every gun manufacturer is required to meet. But hundreds of Sig Sauer P320 owners, including law enforcement officers, military veterans, and everyday civilians, claim that standard failed them. Their P320 allegedly fired on its own. No trigger pull. No warning. An accidental discharge can injure and it can kill, and we are here to help you fight back. 

If you own a Sig Sauer P320, this post breaks down exactly what is happening legally and how to find out if you are entitled to compensation. If you have been injured by a Sig Sauer P320, contact our gun defect lawyers to investigate and to learn more about your legal options.

What Is the Sig Sauer P320 and Why Are So Many People Suing Over It?

The Sig Sauer P320 is a striker-fired semi-automatic pistol launched in 2014. It became one of the best-selling handguns in the country almost immediately, adopted by civilian gun owners, police departments across the U.S., and ultimately the U.S. military, which selected it as the standard-issue sidearm for all branches.

The problem is that shortly after it hit the market, a troubling pattern began to emerge. Gun owners, including highly trained law enforcement officers and combat veterans, started reporting that their P320 was firing without anyone pulling the trigger. Incidents happened while the gun was holstered. While being carried during a shift. While getting out of a vehicle. In many cases, the person holding or wearing the gun had no intention of firing and made no contact with the trigger. P320 injury cases have been reported and out attorneys would like to speak to anyone injured in any incident.

Sig Sauer’s Own Documents Show They May Have Known About Safety Risks

One of the most damning pieces of evidence in this litigation did not come from a plaintiff’s attorney. It came from Sig Sauer itself. In February 2017, Sig Sauer’s engineers produced an internal risk analysis — a Failure Modes, Effects, and Criticality Analysis prepared for the U.S. Army — that rated the P320 at “high” risk for firing unintentionally upon impact. That document was written by the company’s own team, which they have attempted to walk back.

Sig Sauer, it is important to note, has denied all claims that their firearms are defective. Sig Sauer launched the P320 in 2014 and from the beginning boasted that the gun offered premium safety and performance without the need for external safeties, claiming the P320 provided “an enhanced level of safety” through internal safeties.

Did Sig Sauer’s “Upgrade” Actually Fix the Problem?

When public pressure mounted in 2017, Sig Sauer launched what it called a voluntary upgrade program for the P320. Critically, the company insisted the original design was safe, so this was not classified as a recall. Gun owners had to actively seek out the modification, and many never received it.

Even those who did get the upgrade are not necessarily protected. In July 2025, the Wyoming Gun Project published video demonstrating that a post-upgrade P320 could discharge without any intentional finger contact. That footage has become a significant piece of evidence in ongoing litigation.

If your P320 fired without you pulling the trigger your experience is legally significant. Do not send the firearm back to Sig Sauer, clean it, or allow it to be modified before speaking with an attorney. The physical gun is your most important piece of evidence.

Two Jury Verdicts Have Already Addressed the Alleged Defect

The question of whether the P320 has a design defect has been argued in court a few times already. Two separate civil juries have heard the full evidence and they have ruled against Sig Sauer.

• In June 2024, a Georgia jury awarded $2.35 million to Robert Lang after his holstered P320 discharged with no alleged trigger contact. Sig Sauer moved to have that verdict vacated — and lost. Appellate courts have since upheld the verdict.
• In November 2024, a Philadelphia jury awarded U.S. Army veteran George Abrahams $1 million in compensatory damages and $10 million in punitive damages. The punitive portion was later vacated by the trial judge, but the compensatory award and the liability finding stand.
• A federal judge certified a class action lawsuit in Missouri against Sig Sauer regarding alleged design defects in the P320, which plaintiffs claim can discharge without a trigger pull. Plaintiffs allege that the P320 lacks proper safety features, specifically an external safety or trigger safety, causing it to be “unreasonably dangerous.”

Sig Sauer P320 Lawsuits

Sig Sauer P320 Lawsuits in California

California is the single largest state market for the Sig Sauer P320. Law enforcement agencies throughout Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento, and the Bay Area have officers carrying the weapon. Thousands of military veterans and civilian gun owners throughout the state own one as well.

California’s consumer protection laws are among the strongest in the country. Under the California Consumers Legal Remedies Act and the Unfair Competition Law, a manufacturer can be held strictly liable without needing to prove intentional wrongdoing — you simply need to show the product was defective. California law also allows omission-based fraud claims, meaning Sig Sauer’s failure to disclose the known defect may be enough to support a claim.

Sig Sauer P320 Lawsuits in Texas

Texas has a documented history of P320 incidents specifically involving law enforcement. Officers in La Grange, Marble Falls, and Houston have each reported discharges without any trigger contact. Those Texas incidents were cited directly in both the New Jersey Attorney General’s complaint and the Washington state class action — putting Texas law enforcement cases at the center of the national litigation record.

Sig Sauer P320 Lawsuits in Illinois

Illinois has no P320 class action on file, but the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act is well-suited to this type of case. Illinois law permits omission-based fraud claims without requiring physical injury, which means P320 owners in Chicago, Springfield, Rockford, or anywhere in the state may have a claim simply because they paid full price for a firearm with an alleged defect.

Sig Sauer P320 Lawsuits in Colorado

Colorado’s Consumer Protection Act supports deceptive trade practices class actions on the same theory already certified in Missouri: that buyers paid full price for a gun with potential safety issues. Sig Sauer sells the P320 throughout Colorado, establishing clear personal jurisdiction over the company in the state.

Whether you’re in Denver, Colorado Springs, Aurora, Boulder, Fort Collins, or anywhere else in Colorado, if your P320 fired without a trigger pull — or if you simply bought the gun before the alleged defect was publicly disclosed — you may be entitled to compensation.

What Compensation Could You Recover in a P320 Lawsuit?

The damages theory is grounded in one straightforward idea: you paid full price for a gun you never would have bought if you knew about a potential problem with accidental discharge. The P320 retails between $400 and $700. That price difference, multiplied across the millions of guns sold, forms the basis of the class-wide economic damages model.

If you were physically injured by any unintended discharge, regardless of gun model, your recoverable damages are broader and can include emergency room and surgical costs, ongoing medical treatment and rehabilitation, lost wages during recovery, permanent disability or reduced earning capacity, and pain and suffering.

Why Hire The Lyon Firm for Your Sig Sauer P320 Case?

Product liability cases against major firearms manufacturers are among the most technically complex and aggressively defended lawsuits in the country. You need a firm that has the experience, the relationships with expert witnesses, and the litigation infrastructure to match that effort.

The Lyon Firm was built for exactly this kind of fight. We handle large-scale product liability litigation against corporations that put profit ahead of consumer safety, and we have settled numerous defective handgun cases. 

Beyond the legal mechanics, we treat every client as a person, not a case file. An unexpected gunshot is a traumatic experience. The physical injury is only part of what you’ve lost. We fight for the full picture — your medical costs, your lost income, your reduced quality of life, and the peace of mind you deserve.

Frequently Asked Questions: Sig Sauer P320 Accidental Discharge Lawsuits

Can I sue Sig Sauer if my P320 fired without me pulling the trigger? Yes. If your P320 discharged without intentional trigger contact and you suffered injury or financial loss as a result, you may have a viable product liability claim. You can also pursue a consumer protection claim even without physical injury.

Do I need to have been physically injured to file an unintentional discharge P320 lawsuit? No. In several states, consumer protection laws allow you to bring a claim based on economic harm alone — meaning if you paid full price for a P320, you may be entitled to recover the difference in value even if the gun never discharged on you.

What if my P320 was upgraded through Sig Sauer’s 2017 program? The upgrade does not necessarily eliminate your claim. In July 2025, video evidence demonstrated that a post-upgrade P320 could still discharge with less than one millimeter of trigger movement and without intentional trigger contact.

How long do I have to file a Sig Sauer P320 lawsuit in my state? Statutes of limitations vary by state and by the type of claim, but waiting almost always reduces your options. The safest approach is to contact an attorney as soon as possible to understand the specific deadline that applies to your situation.

What is the Sig Sauer P320 MDL? An MDL — Multi-District Litigation — is a federal procedural mechanism that consolidates similar cases from around the country into one court for pretrial proceedings. Once cases are consolidated into an MDL, the dynamics of filing in new states change significantly. Getting a case filed before that consolidation preserves more legal options.

What evidence should I preserve if my P320 discharged unexpectedly? Preserve the firearm itself above all else — do not clean it, modify it, or return it to Sig Sauer. Also keep the holster, any ammunition, and any protective gear you were wearing. Photograph your injuries, the gun, and the scene. Obtain copies of any police reports, incident reports, or medical records.

Which police departments have banned the Sig Sauer P320? The Houston Police Department banned the P320 in 2025 following a serious officer injury. A federal judge ordered the Chicago Police Department to phase out the weapon after a union request. The Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission permanently banned the P320 from all law enforcement training facilities.

If you own a Sig Sauer P320 and it fired without you pulling the trigger — or if you simply want to know whether buying this gun entitles you to compensation — reach out to The Lyon Firm for a free, confidential case review. We are actively accepting defective gun injury cases on behalf of plaintiffs nationwide.