Government can’t force a recall of defective and dangerous guns, but a class action lawsuit brought by Bailey Glasser convinced Taurus to agree to recall framework for about a million pistols.

Newsweek magazine highlighted a recent settlement negotiated in a class action lawsuit brought against Taurus International. The magazine called the settlement a “landmark legal concession” from a gun manufacturer, one of only two cases in which a manufacturer has agreed to offer to repair or replace potentially defective weapons as part of a class-action settlement.

The suit was brought by Iowa police officer Chris Carter, represented by attorneys from Bailey Glasser, including David Selby II of the firm’s Birmingham, Alabama, office, and John Barrett of the firm’s Charleston, West Virginia, office, as well as Todd Wheeles of Birmingham’s Morris, Haynes, Wheeles, Knowles & Nelson.

The lawsuit alleged faulty design in a number of Taurus pistols that make them likely to discharge when dropped, even with the manual safety engaged, and allow them to be fired with the safety in the on position.

Many people have been seriously injured because of these defects, and the Newsweek article says at least 13 people have been injured or killed in incidents when Taurus pistols have unintentionally fired.

The article points out that decades-old laws shield gun makers from many consumer product regulations: “The result is a gaping regulatory hole for the 300 million guns Americans own. Unlike virtually any other consumer product sold in the United States—from toasters to cars to medical devices — the federal government has no authority to force the recall of potentially defective firearms.”

For information about the Taurus pistol class action settlement, visit www.TaurusCarterSettlement.com.