Spring pawn shop blamed for hearing loss

A Spring pawn shop is being sued over claims a defective rifle caused a local man to lose hearing in his left ear.

James Oldham filed a lawsuit Thursday, July 12 in the Harris County District Court against Thompson/Center Arms and Spring-area Northwest Pawnshop No. 2, citing violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, negligence and more.

Oldham says on Dec. 28, 2011, he suffered permanent hearing loss in his left ear when a rifle he received from Northwest Pawnshop, located at 18123 Kuykendahl Road, fired unexpectedly. The suit alleges the incident occurred as a result of a defective safety mechanism.

Oldham is seeking attorney's fees, court costs and damages. He is being represented in the case by Houston attorney Robert Lapin.

Harris County District Court Case No. 2012-40102.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed at the Harris County Courthouse. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it only represents one side of the story.