Firearm injuries kill thousands of people every year making it a major public health safety problem. In order to reduce the risk of firearm injuries, public health professionals have used tort litigation to fight the misuse of firearms, causing injuries and deaths.
Review the Bloomberg firearms litigation case (City of New York v. Beretta U.S.A. Corp). Use an objective perspective while reviewing this case. Consider whether increasing the difficulty of purchasing firearms is a violation of constitutional freedoms.
Address the following:
- Briefly explain the characteristics of tort litigation.
- What are your concerns after reading the Bloomberg case?
- Do you think society should allow you to use the courts to address this public health problem?
- Congress addressed this question in the Protection of Lawful Commerce of Arms Act. Do you agree or disagree with Congress' decision? Why?