The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled last week in Soto v. Bushmaster Firearms International that the estates of the victims of the Sandy Hook school shooting can pursue claims against the manufacturer of the weapon used in the massacre. The decision has garnered nationwide attention, understandably focused on the tragic context and the holding that gun makers can be sued. But another part of the decision may have a deeper and longer-lasting impact on Connecticut law.

The ruling in Soto may greatly expand the reach of Connecticut’s principal consumer protection and business litigation statute, the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act, to include business conduct not previously generally understood to be subject to CUTPA. CUTPA is Connecticut’s version of the Federal Trade Commission Act. But unlike that act, CUTPA provides for private litigation, in addition to government enforcement. The implications of the Soto decision for companies that do business in Connecticut are profound and far-reaching.

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