Florida House Bill 1551 could limit lawsuits against gun makers over missing safety features
Bill could shield gunmakers from lawsuits
A bill advancing through the Florida legislature could make it difficult for people to sue gun manufacturers even in situations where a firearm malfunctions, fires without a trigger-pull or injures law enforcement officers. FOX 13’s Heather Healy reports.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A piece of legislation is moving through the Florida House of Representatives that would protect gun manufacturers from some missing safety measures.
The backstory:
Florida House Bill 1551 would shield manufacturers from certain product liability claims, specifically, optional safety features.
It comes after an Indian River County deputy was shot when his gun misfired during a training exercise two years ago.
Deputy Zach Seldes’ SIG Sauer P-320 pistol fired while it was still in his holster, and it hit him in the calf.
He suffered injuries because of it and has filed a lawsuit.
Seldes’ lawsuit is one of more than 100 that are filed nationwide saying the P-320 can fire without the trigger being pulled.
What they're saying:
"As a law enforcement leader, that scares the hell out of me," explained Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers.
"I have no dog in this fight, I'm not suing sig I'm not doing any of that but Zach is, and he deserves what he deserves for his injuries," he added.
The bill's sponsor, Representative Wyman Duggan, argued people could still sue over true defects, not just because a gun lacks optional safety features.
"I would submit to you; you can still come into court. You're going to have your day in court. You're going to make the argument. Hopefully, there's going to be learned counsel on both sides who are going to flesh this issue out. I would say this language is going to be available to the defendant to say if as the chair alluded to. If your sole argument is it didn't have a safety, that's a defect you should lose on directed verdict," Representative Duggan said.
What's next:
The bill advanced out of committee by a 13-4 vote, and now it is heading to the state capital.
If passed, the law would not impact current cases, but it would only apply to future lawsuits being made.
The Source: This article was written with information found in Florida House Bill 1551 and information found in an article from WPTV.