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

Last answered 1 day ago

Yes

7,113 votes

42%

No

9,653 votes

58%

Distribution of answers submitted by Socialist.

33%

Yes

46%

No

5%

Yes, any business should be held liable if the primary use of its product is for illegal activity

11%

No, manufacturers and dealers should only be held liable for negligence

5%

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

4 Yes answers

2 No answers

0 overlapping answers

Data includes total votes submitted by visitors since Jan 28, 2016. For users that answer more than once (yes we know), only their most recent answer is counted in the total results. Total percentages may not add up to exactly 100% as we allow users to submit "grey area" stances that may not be categorized into yes/no stances.

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.  See recent gun liability news