The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal from Remington on Tuesday; this allows Sandy Hook families to continue their lawsuit against the firearms manufacturer. The decision brings potential devastating effects to the front door of the firearms industry.
Supreme Court Action Allows Remington Lawsuit
In March, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled to allow family members of Sandy Hook victims to sue Remington in a 4-3 decision. Meanwhile, Remington argued the 2005 Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act protects against such actions.
The Connecticut Supreme Court said the families could present their claims due to an “exemption to the 2005 federal shield law, basing it on a Connecticut consumer protection statute,” Reuters reported in March.
The heart of the case centers around an exception in the law itself, “provided in cases where the gun manufacturer knowingly violated the law through its marketing practices,” reported cnbc.com. The suit claims Remington targeted alleged “high-risk” users with its marketing tactics.
“The families’ goal has always been to shed light on Remington’s calculated and profit-driven strategy to expand the AR-15 market and court high-risk users, all at the expense of Americans’ safety. Today’s decision is a critical step toward achieving that goal,” said Joshua Koskoff, who represents the plaintiffs, in a statement.
All gun manufacturers will keep their eye on the Remington lawsuit moving forward. As Remington argued previously, allowing this type of litigation opens the industry up to a precedent-setting decision. If that should come, gun companies could potentially again become targets of frivolous lawsuits designed to cripple the industry.
