The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an attempt by Remington Arms to prevent the company from being sued by a survivor and relatives of nine victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook school mass shooting.
The company argued in Remington Arms Co. v. Soto that it should be shielded by a law that prevents most lawsuits against gun manufacturers when the firearms they make are used in crimes, reports the Associated Press. The justices rejected Remington’s claim and won’t stop the lawsuit from moving forward.
The decision could open the door to victims of gun violence and their families suing firearms manufacturers for damages, reports CNN Business. Depending on how the case unfolds, it could serve as a road map to circumvent the 2005 federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act that was cited by Remington.
The Sandy Hook victims’ families and survivor lawsuit alleges Remington Arms never should have sold the Bushmaster AR-15 to the general public because it was so lethal. The suit also claims the company uses deceptive marketing practices by placing their products in violent video games, which entice young, at-risk males to buy the AR-15.
Opponents to the suit, however, claim that the 20-year-old Sandy Hook gunman is solely responsible for the 2012 mass shooting that killed 20 children and six adults at the school. The shooter used the AR-15 during the massacre.
The National Rifle Association (NRA) told the justices that although the case doesn’t implicate the Second Amendment, it could put firearms manufacturers out of business, making the right to bear arms meaningless, reports Reuters.
The Supreme Court, however, rejected Remington’s appeal without providing any comment.
According to attorneys for the Sandy Hook victims’ families and survivor, their next step will be to compel Remington to disclose internal company documents and “shed light on Remington’s profit-driven strategy,” reports CNN.
Despite the victory in court, a final trial win by the plaintiffs is in no way guaranteed. Most of the state Supreme Court justices stated it could be a “Herculean task” for the families to prove their case at trial, reports the Associated Press.
