# What happens if you end up in the hospital?



## kg333 (May 19, 2008)

Hello all,

A CCW question came to mind last night and wouldn't go away, so I thought I'd bring it here and plague you guys with it. :smt082

Anyways, the issue is: what happens if you are a CCW holder with your weapon on you, and you are injured or incapacitated enough to be sent to the hospital? The concerns that come to mind for me at least are where my weapon is sent upon getting to the hospital (frankly I have no clue what they do with patients who arrive with weapons on their person), and secondly, if you're incapacitated, your weapon in out of your control and could be accessed by persons unknown.

If anyone has ever been in this situation or knows what is done, I'd be interested to hear. Thanks in advance!

KG


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## ericridebike (Mar 22, 2009)

Most of the time I think that a police officer or hospital security will be called to deal with it, especially if you're incapacitated. Many ER's now have metal detectors staffed with security officers to make sure weapons don't get in. Most health care workers will not want to mess with it themselves for liability reasons and fear and unfamiliarity with guns. Especially if they suspect it could be involved in a crime. I think the only way the healthy care worker might take it themselves is if you were confused or not acting normal and they were scared that you may hurt someone with it. Even in this circumstance, they would probably just remove it from your immediate access and call security/police to take possesion of it. I'm sure as long as you were able to legally own/carry the gun, you should get it back when you leave.


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## kev74 (Mar 22, 2008)

I'd like to think that ifI had the capacity to worry about what was going to happen to my gun in that situation, I'd be able to take precautions to secure it. If I was incapacitated badly enough to not know what was going on, I'm sure there is some procedure for securing a gun. My concern would be more toward theft rather than immediate misuse.


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## Kyle1337 (Mar 22, 2008)

Funny you should ask this question I am a hospital security officer this happens quite a bit here in New Mexico, even if you aren't incapacitated you (at least our hospital) have to relinquish your weapon to us and we keep it in a lock box till your released then we give it back to you with empty mags but we have small bags to put the bullets into(If you don't, the PD will arrest you and revoke your CCW). Everyone that has had a CCW has complied, if you don't have a CCW and are in an accident the PD keeps it till you come to claim it if you lawfully had the firearm. First thing EMS and EMT's/paramedics, firefighters and so on do is call PD if they see a weapon period.

EDIT: If you can have family pick up the weapon and your alert enough to see the transfer of the firearm to the family member we can do that as well.


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## kg333 (May 19, 2008)

Hmm, good to know. Thanks for the thoughts and info, guys. :smt023

KG


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## gilream (May 5, 2009)

My son was badly injured several years ago in a car accident on his way to school. He was in the trauma center at 4 PM that afternoon when I finally arrived from a business trip in Ontario Canada. His clothes and personal effects were placed underneath the emergency room bed that he was on and when I collected his belongings while they were transfering him to intensive care, I noticed that his wallet was missing. Someone, either at the hospital or in the ambulance, took it. A shameful act for sure, but to tell you the truth it was the last thing on our minds at the time. Your carry gun might very well come up missing but at that point you might not care.


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## Kyle1337 (Mar 22, 2008)

I can vouch for my hospital, anything valuable anything at all, a nurse must sign it into our safe, which only we have a key to. Unless the patient says otherwise, (if they say otherwise, it usually comes up missing but we've never had anything disappear from our safe.) Sorry for your sons misfortune.


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## gilream (May 5, 2009)

Thanks Kyle...he recovered 100% after the month of Feb. in the hospital and started every game his senior year at tight end. Oh to be 17 again!


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## zhurdan (Mar 21, 2008)

My wife and I were on a Motorcycle trip for our Anniversary about 8 years ago, and we were into our 2nd day when we hit a deer at 55mph. It put us both on the asphault and banged us up pretty good. We weren't incapacitated, but I did inform the trooper that followed the ambulance to the hospital that I had a CC permit and where my gun was. He was very appreciative, took the weapon (undoubtedly ran the numbers on it) and secured it in the hospitals lock-up. Five days later, I hobbled my busted arse down to the security desk and requested my pistol back. Flip and flash of the ID and CCW permit and I had my gun back. The two magazines were full, but the one in the pipe was handed to me out of the gun. Overall, a pretty smooth process.

Zhur


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## rccola712 (Aug 26, 2008)

i had a chance to ask my cousin this question this weekend, and she gave me a response very similar to the one Kyle gave. 
she said that if they find a weapon on you, it would be turned into the security guards, and would then be returned to you once you checked out. 

a bit of a repeat, but hopefully serves as some confirmation


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## kg333 (May 19, 2008)

Good stuff to know, thanks to everyone who replied!

KG


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