Newsom Signs Bill Allowing Lawsuits Against Gun Manufacturers for Negligence

By: MRT Desk

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a state law Tuesday that tightens gun control in the state because it allows people, as well as state and local governments, to sue gun manufacturers for negligence, which could pave the way for a wave of lawsuits if the legislation survives the inevitable legal challenges.

AB 1595 reflects an effort by California and other Democratic-led states to tighten gun control restrictions in the wake of mass shootings across the country and in the face of fierce opposition from the gun industry, its Republican allies, and a conservative Supreme Court.

California’s move creates a code of conduct that features several safeguards aimed at reducing gun violence, authorizing lawsuits for violations by the state attorney general, city attorneys, and individual citizens. The bill goes into effect next summer.

“If you were injured or a member of your family is a victim of gun violence, you can now go to court and hold these deadly gun manufacturers accountable,” Newsom said as he signed the bill in a video message on Twitter.

Companies could face lawsuits if their products are “abnormally dangerous,” sold in a way that allows them to be converted illegally, or end up in the hands of people who are prohibited from owning firearms.

Newsom is expected to soon sign a similar bill that would allow Californians to sue individuals or businesses that distribute prohibited firearms, such as assault weapons.

That measure, specifically inspired by a Texas law that allows people to sue abortion providers, has already passed the state legislature and reached Newsom.

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