A gunmaker agreed to pay Sandy Hook families $73 million for their deaths.
Remington, the company that made the AR-15-style weapon used in the attack on an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., had been sued by the families of the people who were killed.
The families of nine people killed in the Sandy Hook school shooting reached a deal with the maker of the AR-15-style rifle used in the massacre on Tuesday for $73 million. This is thought to be the largest payout by a gun manufacturer in a mass shooting case.
People in the firearms industry aren't very happy about this deal. The lawsuit worked around the federal law that protects gun companies from being sued by saying that the manufacturer's marketing of the weapon had broken Connecticut's consumer law.
Remington, the company that makes guns, is said to have encouraged sales of the type of weapon that appeals to troubled men, like the man who killed 20 first-graders and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., on Dec. 14, 2012. It was filed by relatives of five of the children and four of the adults who were in the suit.
Josh Koskoff, the lawyer for the nine families, said that from the start, they all wanted to do everything they could to stop the next Sandy Hook. "It's hard to think of an outcome that better meets that goal."
Family lawyers say Remington agreed to release thousands of internal company documents, including possible plans for how to market the weapon used in the massacre, as part of a financial settlement. This was a major sticking point in the negotiations, and Remington agreed to do this.
It was a goal of the lawsuit for the families to open up the industry and make it more public, they say. Remington didn't want to give up any internal documents.
A gunmaker agreed to pay Sandy Hook families $73 million for their deaths.
Remington, the company that made the AR-15-style weapon used in the attack on an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., had been sued by the families of the people who were killed.
The families of nine people killed in the Sandy Hook school shooting reached a deal with the maker of the AR-15-style rifle used in the massacre on Tuesday for $73 million. This is thought to be the largest payout by a gun manufacturer in a mass shooting case.
People in the firearms industry aren't very happy about this deal. The lawsuit worked around the federal law that protects gun companies from being sued by saying that the manufacturer's marketing of the weapon had broken Connecticut's consumer law.
Remington, the company that makes guns, is said to have encouraged sales of the type of weapon that appeals to troubled men, like the man who killed 20 first-graders and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., on Dec. 14, 2012. It was filed by relatives of five of the children and four of the adults who were in the suit.
Josh Koskoff, the lawyer for the nine families, said that from the start, they all wanted to do everything they could to stop the next Sandy Hook. "It's hard to think of an outcome that better meets that goal."
Family lawyers say Remington agreed to release thousands of internal company documents, including possible plans for how to market the weapon used in the massacre, as part of a financial settlement. This was a major sticking point in the negotiations, and Remington agreed to do this.
It was a goal of the lawsuit for the families to open up the industry and make it more public, they say. Remington didn't want to give up any internal documents.
Remington's lawyers said the same thing during oral arguments.
If it was tragic, a lawyer for the company said, "No matter how much we wish that those children and their teachers hadn't been killed and that those damages hadn't been caused, the law needs to be applied dispassionately."
Four to three, the justices said that the case could go forward because of a state law against unfair trade practices. After a few months, the U.S. Supreme Court made it possible for the case to go on, denying Remington's appeal.
When there were a lot of shootings and killings over a long time, those broad protections were put under more scrutiny. This happened after a lot of shootings and killing, like when eight people were killed in massage parlors around Atlanta.
Legislators in New York passed a law in June that would make illegal or improper marketing or sales of guns a nuisance, which would make it easier for gun companies to sue them.
There is a law professor at Georgia State University who is very knowledgeable about guns and the law. Timothy D. Lytton says that state-level laws like this aren't likely to be common.
Most of the time, there are only a few states, like California, that try to pass laws that don't protect the people who make guns. At least half the country doesn't want to change or make things easier for people to sue, he said. "They're looking for ways to expand gun rights and stop anything that would cut down on how many guns there are."
He and other legal experts said it was not clear if the settlement would lead to more lawsuits.
However, for the families of people who were involved in this case, the agreement felt like it was a fair way to settle the case.
It will never be fair for "David" and "me," Francine Wheeler said at a news conference on Tuesday. Her son Ben was killed in a car accident. "True justice would be for our 15-year-old to be healthy and right next to us right now." There will never be a time when Benny will be 15. Because he's gone, he'll always be 6.