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LOGAN — A Cache County hunting guide is suing the Boy Scouts of America after he was permanently blinded in an accidental shooting during a Scout outing.
In a personal injury lawsuit filed Tuesday in 1st District Court, 61-year-old hunting guide Craig Bingham is suing for unspecified financial damages against the Boy Scouts of America, the local Trapper Trails Council, and nine people who participated in a pheasant hunt on March 22, 2014.
The lawsuit identifies four of those people as Scoutmasters. It does not specify whether the five additional defendants are minors.
Bingham claims the hunting party acted "negligently and recklessly," and failed to keep a proper lookout, with all nine opening fire when some pheasants took flight as the group walked the private hunting reserve.
Birdshot caught Bingham in the eye, permanently blinding him, as well as striking him in his hand and thigh.
The lawsuit argues the hunting party should be held collectively responsible for the accident, saying it's up to the defendants whether they want to determine which of the hunters was responsible for the shot that wounded Bingham.
The lawsuit claims the hunters had "a duty to use the same degree of care and skill ordinarily used by members of a hunting group in a manner that would avoid causing harm or injury to bystanders and other members of the hunting party."
Bingham says the Boy Scouts of America had a responsibility to adequately train the Scout leaders, making the organization vicariously liable.
Since being blinded in the accident, Bingham has experienced severe headaches, depression, weight gain, mobility difficulties, inability to work and poor depth perception, according to the lawsuit.
In a statement Thursday, Allen Endicott of the Trapper Trails Council offered the sympathies of the council but said the organization cannot speak directly about the lawsuit.
"While we cannot comment on ongoing litigation, in Scouting we strive to make every effort to provide a safe environment for all that are involved, including Scouts, leaders, and the public. The BSA adheres to our longstanding policy of teaching our youth and adult members the safe, responsible, intelligent handling, care and use of firearms, air rifles, BB guns, and archery equipment — all of which support our mission and teach young people lifelong lessons in character development and leadership," Endicott said.
