The Connecticut Supreme Court has held that federal laws protecting gun-makers from liability for the damage their products inflict don’t protect them from state laws regulating gun marketing, or keep them from disclosing their strategies.
The court agreed with the lower court judge’s decision to dismiss claims that directly challenged the federal law shielding the gun companies from litigation, but found the case can move forward based on a state law regarding unfair trade practices.
Justices wrote in the majority opinion that “it falls to a jury to decide whether the promotional schemes alleged in the present case rise to the level of illegal trade practices and whether fault for the tragedy can be laid at their feet.”
A 2005 federal law that was a high priority for the National Rifle Association and the gun lobby generally greatly restricts suits holding manufacturers and dealers liable for the death and injury caused by guns.
