Could Injuries from Paintball Attacks Lead to Legal Action?

An uncommon situation unfolded recently as three local residents appeared to be targeted with paintball gun attacks. According to the Altoona Police Department, last week these three residents reported being shot by paintballs in three separate drive-by paintball shootings.

Over the course of one evening, the paintball attacks took place in three different locations. Twice, a person on a bicycle was targeted, with the third occurrence involving a pedestrian. The police reported that all three vehicles gave the same description of the SUV that the paintballs originated from, a silver-colored SUV.

While being shot with a paintball may not sound serious, being shot with a paintball, especially while biking can cause severe injuries. In addition to the soft tissue damage caused by the paintball’s impact, the impact could cause the bicyclist to lose control and crash. These crashes can cause abrasions, broken bones, head injuries, and even death.

For example, commenters on the Altoona Police Department’s Facebook page say that the first teenager went to the emergency room because of the injuries she sustained in the attack. The Altoona Police Department are still investigating this incident, and there has been no official update on this victim’s condition.

The perpetrators will likely be charged criminally, but it is through a personal injury lawsuit that these three victims can receive compensation for their injuries, even emotional, that resulted from these drive-by attacks. This is why, once the perpetrators are identified, these three victims should file a personal injury lawsuit against all the individuals involved.

Depending on the circumstances, the shooter or shooters, the driver, and possibly even those in the vehicle may all be liable to these victims. The key will be identifying the facts of who did what, and then filing the lawsuit against all those involved.

The Altoona Police Department ask the public to call them if they have any information on any of these incidents or on the silver-colored SUV. And, once the perpetrators are caught, the victims of these incidents should seek to recover damages in a personal injury lawsuit.