@ISIDEWITHQuestionsDomestic PolicyStarted 9yrs agoActive 1hr ago1 here now

Should victims of gun violence be allowed to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers?

In 2005, Congress passed the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA). The law protects gun manufacturers and dealers from being held liable when crimes have been committed with their products. The law was passed in response to a series of lawsuits filed against the gun industry in the late 1990s which claimed gun-makers and sellers were not doing enough to prevent crimes committed with their products. Proponents of the law argue that lawsuits will discourage gun manufacturers from supplying stores who sell guns that end up being used in violent crimes. Opponents argue that gun manufacturers are not responsible for random acts of violence committed with their products.

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Answer Overview

Response rates from 1.7k 27587 voters.

26%
Yes
74%
No
20%
Yes
64%
No
3%
Yes, any business should be held liable if the primary use of its product is for illegal activity
10%
No, manufacturers and dealers should only be held liable for negligence
2%
Yes, as long as the losing party pays all legal fees, it’s our constitutional right to sue anyone for any reason
1%
Yes, but only dealers

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Other Popular Answers

Unique answers from 27587 voters whose views went beyond the provided options.

 @3WZMZGCfrom Washington  answered…4yrs4Y

Absolutely not. This is asinine and comparable to suing a hammer maker because you smashed your thumb. Even if someone smashed someone elses thumb, on purpose. It is not the fault of the tool maker. It is the responsibility of each person to handle those tools appropriately. Decisions come with consequences. Use a tool for harm, and that person should deal with those consequences, not a company who made it.

Firearms dealers should only be dealt with legally if they sold someone a gun without going through the proper process.

 @8MQHHXY from Louisiana  answered…4yrs4Y

I think that the people who make the guns should not be responsible unless if their products cause a huge number of problems worldwide.

 @8LYHYV4 from Maine  answered…4yrs4Y

Depending on if the firearm user is the one being injured, say you purchased a faulty firearm and attempted to fire it and it backfires on you, hurting your arm, then you should be able to fault the manufacturer or dealer, but only in that scenario.

 @8QPRM64 from Virginia  answered…4yrs4Y

For assault rifles only

 @3WX5M4Ffrom Utah  answered…4yrs4Y

Yes, the constitution gives us the right to sue for any reason. It does not mean that the case should win in court but I would not prevent any one from suing for any reason.

 @585VTVHfrom Pennsylvania  answered…4yrs4Y

NO. Guns don't kill people; people kill people. If we start suing legally acting gun manufacturers and dealers, then we should also start suing knife makers and car makers, because people are routinely killed by those items also. Let's get reasonable, people; reserve your lawsuits for the entities who actually deserve them: the people who committed the violent act in the first place.

 @8MN8DQ9 from Louisiana  answered…4yrs4Y

No, unless they had a true influence over the violence.

 @97SCG64 from Virginia  answered…2yrs2Y

For crimes involving assault rifles only

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