Gun Violence Lawsuits & Gun Maker Liability Litigation

Cincinnati, Ohio, product liability attorney reviewing gun defect injury cases and gun violence lawsuits on behalf of plaintiffs nationwide.

Follow deadly gun accidents and intentional shootings, victims and their families can weigh legal action and file civil gun violence lawsuits against a wide range of defendants. Gun liability lawyers and consumer safety attorneys have the ability to pursue justice and rightful compensation on behalf of plaintiffs.

Common defendants in gun violence lawsuits include the perpetrators of violence, negligent security staff, gun makers and gun retailers. When a defective firearm is involved in a gun accident injury, a gun manufacturer can be held liable in product liability suits. However, gun makers have largely been protected by law in instances of shooting accident lawsuits.

In some recent gun violence lawsuits, such as the Orlando night club mass shooting, victims and plaintiffs filed negligence claims against the security guard for abandoning his post, as well as the local police for failing to intervene sooner.

In Tennessee, a gunman killed four people at a Waffle House in 2018, and victims’ survivors sued the suspected shooter’s father for negligence and the city after 911 dispatchers sent emergency responders to the wrong Waffle House restaurant.

Gun violence kills around 1,500 people in Ohio each year. Ohio lawmakers are debating how to best curb gun violence and are currently considering bills that could restrict access to firearms.

Joe Lyon is a highly-rated Cincinnati, Ohio, consumer safety lawyer and product liability attorney reviewing shooting accident cases and gun violence lawsuits.

Ohio Gun Violence Lawsuits

After shootings, victims have looked for proper justice, and in most cases gun makers walk away unscathed. The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) has shielded firearm and ammunition manufacturers and retailers from liability when their products are used in crimes.

Plaintiffs and consumer protection attorneys have tried to change the level of gun maker invincibility, and Ohio lawmakers have proposed changes in laws to pursue legal action against gun manufacturers.

There is hope for changes in the future. In a 1999 case in Brooklyn federal court, a jury determined more than a dozen gun manufacturers were liable in shootings due to negligent distribution. The verdict was eventually overturned, but for consumer safety advocates, the decision was a harbinger for gun industry changes.

In almost every other American industry, manufacturers have a duty to provide safe products. When a product causes preventable deaths, they may be sued and face large punitive damages. Despite millions of firearms in circulation, leading to thousands of deaths every year, the gun industry is protected.

Yet suing gun manufacturers and retailers of firearms and ammunition is still possible. If a defective weapon causes death or injury, for example, or if a manufacturer violated fair marketing laws, a lawsuit may be filed.

Recently the victims of the Sandy Hook shooting won a small victory when the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled Remington could be sued for how it marketed the assault rifle the shooter used. Remington may be forced to provide internal documents regarding deceptive marketing practices that experts say could be damaging.

If you or a loved one has suffered an injury due to gun violence, and have questions about the legal remedies available to improve quality of life and medical care, contact The Lyon Firm at (800) 513-2403. You will speak directly with Mr. Lyon, an Ohio consumer safety lawyer, and he will help you answer critical questions regarding legal action and firearm class action lawsuits.