MR Mister Loc: Washington DC

House and Senate Democrats introduced legislation Tuesday they say will allow victims of gun violence to have their day in court.

The Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act aims to repeal federal protections blocking firearm and ammunition manufacturers, dealers and trade groups from most civil lawsuits when a firearm is used unlawfully or in a crime.

Those protections date to 2005, with the passage of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act.
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., one of the bill's co-sponsors, said since PLCAA became law, state and federal courts have "dismissed numerous cases against the gun industry," adding that other cases were likely not brought at all.

Schiff, surrounded by members of gun violence prevention groups including Moms Demand Action, Brady and March For Our Lives, said the purpose of the legislation was to "correct the error Congress made" nearly a decade and a half ago.

"Responsible actors in the gun industry don't need this limitation on liability. And the irresponsible ones don't deserve it," Schiff told reporters at the announcement of the bill.
PLCAA was signed into law by then-President George W. Bush and championed by the gun industry, including the National Rifle Association.

Lawrence Keane of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, a firearms trade association, told NPR his organization "will certainly oppose this legislation." He called the bill to repeal PLCAA "fundamentally unfair."

"You would no more charge or blame Ford or General Motors for drunk driving accidents," Keane said, adding that the current law is "working exactly how Congress intended it."
Keane and other supporters of the current law say it was passed as a way to ensure that manufacturers, dealers, and distributors had protections from what they call "frivolous" lawsuits intended to bankrupt the gun industry.

"All we're doing through this proposal is giving victims of gun violence their day in court," said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., a co-sponsor of the Senate version of the bill. "Every other industry has to pay punitive damages if it intentionally and purposefully violates [a] standard of care" toward the community.

"That will provide a powerful incentive as it has done in tobacco, in automobiles, in pharmaceutical drugs, for safer products," Blumenthal added.

In March, the Connecticut Supreme Court overturned a lower court decision, ruling that Remington Arms could be sued under state law by the families of victims from the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
The court said that Remington, the manufacturer of the rifle that was used in the 2012 attacks in Newtown, Conn., could be sued on the basis of how the company marketed the military-style weapon to civilians.

They have convinced most American's you have no need to protect yourself. They think we can make everywhere a gun-free zone. Yeah, then it's like shooting fish in a barrow. That's what happened in Wal-mart, no one had a gun, no one could stop him.

Maybe we can sue the Mental Health Doctors for not stopping these nuts from running loose.

https://www.npr.org/2019/06/11/731650947/democrats-introduce-bill-allowing-shooting-victim s-to-sue-gun-industry?fbclid=IwAR1JyonBgAiGsucd0rQZJYQLwWIho3IVftC4BE5x7B1CBiA6Hq0x8bPri7s

Doctor Dave Loc: Madisonville, Tx.

Maybe we can sue the auto industry for car wrecks when someone runs a red light and crashes into other cars.

Liberty Tree

Or we can sue Home Depot if it sells a hammer to someone who uses it to hit someone in the head.

lpnmajor Loc: Arkansas

The federal government forced automakers to add seat belts, airbags and other safety features. The federal government forces airlines and aircraft manufacturers to jump through numerous safety hoops. State governments force automobile owners to carry liability insurance. The list is endless.

What safety measures has State or the federal government forced firearm manufacturers /dealers to apply?

Rose42

What safety measures do you suggest? The best safety is the trigger finger off the trigger.

MR Mister Loc: Washington DC

You have no idea that it's a Constitutional thing. It's a right.

vernon

The supreme court is the one that released thousands of mentally ill.THe court has to revisit that ruling
and make corrections.

teabag09

Maybe we can sue some of these dumb assed legislators for wasting our tax payers money on these stupid investigations instead of doing what we are paying them to do. Protecting the Constitution and Bill of Rights. On second thought, as long as they are chasing their tails over the President and everything else they are not passing more stupid laws and regulations. Mike

MR Mister Loc: Washington DC

Only if you can prove the car is at fault! Do/can you see the diff?

MR Mister Loc: Washington DC

Well as long as we have loony left judges on the SC this will not change.