Phill Junkins, a Franklinton resident, was awarded the amount for injuries, and subsequent disability, sustained in a March 31, 2004 incident when Junkins was loading his Knight Rifles TK 2000 muzzle-loading shotgun outside his home, his lawyers said.

The weapon, commonly used to hunt turkey, has a problem of containing “latent embers” in the chamber after being fired, said Julie Baxter of Baton Rouge-based Rhorer Law Firm, which represented Junkins. Franklinton attorney John Allen was the original attorney of record to represent Junkins.


Problem is, Knight Rifles did not warn their customers of this, Baxter said.

When conditions are right, the latent embers can cause the rifle to discharge when it is being loaded, and that’s what happened to Junkins, Baxter said.