Soto v. Bushmaster Firearms International, LLC

Summary

The court held that the plaintiffs could not proceed on negligent-entrustment claims or on CUTPA claims alleging that merely selling assault rifles to civilians was unfair, but could proceed on claims that the defendants unlawfully marketed the rifle for offensive, criminal purposes. It further held that CUTPA permits directly injured third parties to sue without a business relationship, permits recovery for directly caused personal injuries, and qualifies as a predicate statute under the federal firearms-liability statute. The judgment was therefore reversed in part and affirmed in part, with remand for further proceedings.