Sandy Hook Lawsuit Moves to State Court in Wake of another School Shooting
The lawsuit was initially filed in Connecticut Superior Court in Bridgeport; however Bushmaster successfully petitioned for the case to be moved to federal court shortly afterward. The plaintiffs are arguing the Bushmaster AR-15 assault rifle used in the shooting is too dangerous to be sold to the public, citing negligent entrustment, a provision which holds a company liable for damages occurring to a third party. Federal courts have usually ruled in favor of gun manufacturers in cases involving negligent entrustment. Although Bushmaster attorneys argued that including Riverview Gun Sales in the lawsuit was “meritless” and that the company was fraudulently named as a defendant in order to keep the case at the state level, Judge Chatigny remanded the case back to state court without issuing an opinion.