Victims of gun violence and their survivors have faced an uphill climb when bringing lawsuits against gun manufacturers and sellers. That climb was made all the steeper in 2005, when the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act was signed by President George W. Bush, shielding firearms manufacturers and retailers from most liability claims.
There are a handful of exceptions, mostly centering on the manufacturer or seller’s obligations to follow state and federal laws. Still, plaintiffs’ wins are rare. But the Bridgeport law firm of Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder is seeking to beat the odds. In a lawsuit filed in Superior Court against North Carolina-based Bushmaster Firearms, the firm is seeking damages from the maker of the AR-15 rifle that gunman Adam Lanza used to kill 26 children and teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012.
