Gun Manufacturer Claims

Sandy Hook. Pulse Nightclub. Chicago Highland Park July 4th Parade. Robb Elementary. The number of tragic shootings that continue in the United States have placed the issue of gun manufacturer liability firmly in the public eye. Over the years, we’ve seen a consistent push by injured parties, their families, municipalities (and even countries) to try to establish liability. 

Efforts to hold gun manufacturers responsible for gun-related incidents have been continuing for decades – starting in the late ’90s, with allegations that gun design and marketing promoted excessively dangerous illegal activity. Those cases were largely dismissed, with courts finding ‘no right to be free of the threat of illegal conduct by others.

The gun manufacturer topic is highly representative of how casualty liability issues are evolving and how the matrix of issues like social inflation, application of public nuisance theories, and public demands for accountability may translate into a broadening of insurance exposures. Learn more about this topic and actions to consider in this trend spotlight.