HAMILTON v. BERETTA U.S.A. CORP.

Docket Nos. 99-7753, 99-7785 and 99-7787.

222 F.3d 36 (2000)

Freddie HAMILTON, Administratrix of the Goods, Chattels, and Credits of Njuzi Ray, Deceased, and Individually, Katina Johnstone, Administratrix of the Goods, Chattels, and Credits of David Johnstone, Deceased, and Individually, Diane Benjamin, as Administratrix of the Estate of Donald Boyd, Deceased, and Individually, Delores Boyd, as Administratrix of the Estate of Donald Boyd, Deceased, and Individually, Anne Cargill, as Administratrix of the Estate of David Cargill, Deceased, and Individually, Veronica Costa, as Administratrix of the Estate of Christopher Malachi, Deceased, and Individually, Frances Davis, as Administratrix of the Estate of Frankie Davis, Deceased, and Individually, Mary Konapacki, as Independent Administrator of the Estate of Amy Elizabeth Merkes, Deceased, and Individually, Shuji Matsuura, as Personal Representative of the Estate of Go Matsuura, Deceased, and Individually, Alice Norris, as Independent Administrator of the Estate of Rolanda Lakesia Marshall, Deceased, and Individually, Yvonne Pope as Administratrix of the Estate of Stepfone Herbin, Deceased, and Individually, Michael Robbins, Maria Santana, as Administratrix of the Estate of Robert Robles, Deceased, and Individually, Andrea Slade-Lewis, as Administratrix of the Estate of Damon Slade, Deceased, and Individually, Adrienne Stanford, as Administrator to Collect of the Estate of Damien Anthony Stanford, Deceased, and Individually, Koici Sunada, as Representative of the Estate of Kei Sunada, Deceased, and Individually, Veronica Trott, as Administratrix of the Estate of Leroy Michael Sabb, Deceased, and Individually, Thomas Vandenberk, as Administrator to Collect the Estate of Thomas C. Vandenberk II, Deceased, and Individually, and Diane Zaretsky, as Administratrix of the Estate of Marvin Zaretsky, Deceased, and Individually, Plaintiffs, Gail Fox and Stephen Fox, Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. BERETTA U.S.A. CORP., Taurus International Manufacturing, Inc., American Arms, Inc., And Colt's Manufacturing Co., Inc., Defendants-Appellants, Accu-Tek, American Derringer Corporation, A.M.T., Armsco Distributing Co., doing business as Armsco Distributor, Arms Corporation of America, Arms Technology, Astra-Uncera Y Cia, S.A., Browning Arms Co., Bryco Arms, Caspian Arms, Inc., Century International Arms, Inc., Charco, Inc., formerly known as Charter Arms Corp., Davis Industries, Inc., European American Armory, Doing Business as E.A.A. Corp., Emco, Inc., Excam, Inc., Freedom Arms Co., Firearms Import and Export Corp., Glock, Inc., Grendel, Inc., H & R 1871, Inc., formerly known as Haskell Mfg., Inc., Harrington & Richardson, International Armament Corporation, doing business as Interarms Industries, Inc., International Distributors, Inc., Jennings Firearms, Inc., K.B.I., Inc., Llama Gabilondo Y Cia S.A., Lorcin Engineering, Marlin Firearms, Inc., Navegar, Inc., doing business as Intratec Firearms, New England Firearms, Inc., formerly known as Harrington & Richardson, Para Ordnance Mfg., Inc., Phoenix Arms, Inc., also known as Raven Arms, Inc., R.G. Industries, Inc., Ram-Line Corp., Remington Arms Co., Inc., Savage Arms Corp., L.W. Seecamp, Stosseger Industries, Sturm, Ruger and Company, Inc., Thompson/Center Arms, U.S. Repeating Arms, Wesson Firearms Co., Kiesler Police Supply, Light Weapons Systems, Inc., Caspian Arms, Ltd., Sigarms, Inc., Smith & Wesson Corp., Springfield, Inc., Sundance Industries, Cobray Firearms, Acusport Corp., AJ Wholesale Gun Distributors, Inc., Alamo Leather Goods, Inc., Amchar Wholesale, Inc., Ashland Shooting Supply, Banger L.P., Brazas Sporting Arms, Inc., Bumble Bee Wholesale, Chattanooga Shooting Supplies, Inc., Conevera Guns, Inc., Davidson's, Eagle Exim, Inc., Ellett Brothers, Fox Wholesale, Inc., Go/Sportsmen's Supply, Inc., Graf & Sons, Gunarama Wholesale, Hill Country Wholesale, Inc., Jack First, Inc., J & S Wholesale, Lew Horton Distributing Co., Lipsey's, Inc., Maurice Sporting Goods, Inc., Micro Sight Co., Nationwide Sports Distributors, P & B Enterprises, Point Sporting Goods, Riley's, Inc., RSR Wholesale South, Inc., Schaub Distributors, Scott Wholesale Co., Inc., SG Distributing/Andrew's Sporting Goods, Southern Ohio Gun Distributors, Inc., Sports South, Inc., American Shooting Sports Council, Inc., National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc., Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturer's Institute, Calico, Inc., Mitchell Arms, Inc., Olympic/Safari Arms, Fabbrica D'armi Pietro S.P.A., also known as Beretta Firearms, Light Weapons Systems, Inc., and S.W. Daniels, Incorporated, Defendants.

United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit.

Decided August 16, 2000


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Lawrence S. Greenwald, Baltimore, Maryland (Nancy E. Paige, Catherine A. Bledsoe, Gordon, Feinblatt, Rothman, Hoffberger & Hollander, LLC, Baltimore, Maryland; Lawrence G. Keane, Pino & Associates, White Plains, New York; Daniel T. Hughes, Erin A. O'Leary, Morgan, Melhuish, Monaghan, Arvidson, Abrutyn & Lisowski, New York, New York, of counsel), for Defendants-Appellants Beretta U.S.A. Corp. and American Arms, Inc.

Timothy A. Bumann, Budd Larner Gross Rosenbaum Greenberg & Sade, Atlanta, Georgia (Geoffrey Gaulkin, Dana S. Mancuso, Budd Larner Gross Rosenbaum Greenberg & Sade, Short Hills, New Jersey; Barry R. Ostrager, Mary Beth Forshaw, Gerald E. Hawxhurst, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, New York, New York; Andrew Zajac, Fiedelman & McGaw, Jericho, New York, of counsel), for Defendants-Appellants Taurus International Manufacturing, Inc. and Colt's Manufacturing Co., Inc.

Barry R. Ostrager, New York, New York (Mary Beth Forshaw, Gerald E. Hawxhurst, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, New York, New York; Andrew Zajac, Fiedelman & McGaw, Jericho, New York, of counsel), for Defendant-Appellant Colt's Manufacturing Co., Inc.

Marc E. Elovitz, New York, New York (Michael S. Feldberg, Kefira R. Wilderman (admission pending), Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP, New York, New York; Elisa Barnes, New York, New York; Denise Dunleavy, Weitz & Luxenberg, New York, New York, of counsel), for Plaintiffs-Appellees Gail Fox and Stephen Fox.

Elisa Barnes, New York, New York, for Plaintiffs-Appellees Gail Fox and Stephen Fox.

John B. Glendon, Pepper Hamilton LLP, New York, New York (James M. Beck, Pepper Hamilton LLP, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Hugh F. Young, Jr., Product Liability Advisory Council, Inc., Reston, Virginia, of counsel), filed a brief for Product Liability Advisory Council, Inc. as Amicus Curiae in support of Defendants-Appellants.

Peter J. Romatowski, Washington, D.C. (Victor E. Schwartz, Mark A. Behrens, Christopher J. McGuire, Crowell & Moring LLP, Washington, D.C.; Robin S. Conrad, National Chamber Litigation Center, Inc., Washington, D.C., of counsel), filed a brief for Chamber of Commerce of the United States as Amicus Curiae in support of Defendants-Appellants.

Pierce Gore, New York, New York (Steven E. Fineman, Robert J. Nelson, Jonathan D. Selbin, Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, New York, New York, of counsel), filed a brief for The Cities of Boston, Massachusetts, Camden, New Jersey, Chicago, Illinois, Los Angeles, The City and County of San Francisco, Sacramento, Oakland, Berkeley, East Palo Alto, Compton, Inglewood and West Hollywood and the Counties of Los Angeles, Alameda and San Mateo, California as Amici Curiae in support of Plaintiffs-Appellees.

Jeffrey R. White, Washington, D.C. (Richard H. Middleton, The Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Washington, D.C.; Misty Farris, Thomas Simms, Baron & Budd, P.C., Dallas, Texas, of counsel), filed a brief for The Association of Trial Lawyers of America as Amicus Curiae in support of Plaintiffs-Appellees.

Rachana Bhowmik, Washington, D.C. (Dennis A. Henigan, Jonathan E. Lowy, Brian J. Siebel, Allen Rostron, Center to Prevent Handgun Violence, Washington, D.C., of counsel), filed a brief for The Center to Prevent Handgun Violence, The American Academy of Pediatrics, The American Association of Suicidology, The American Jewish Congress Commission on Law and Social Action, Common Cause, The Educational Fund to End Handgun Violence, The National Association of Elementary School Principals, The National Association of School Psychologists, The National Association of Secondary School Principals, The National Spinal Cord Injury Association, and Trial Lawyers for Public Justice as Amici Curiae in support of Plaintiffs-Appellees.

Before: CARDAMONE, CABRANES, Circuit Judges, and TRAGER, District Judge.


Judge JOÉ A. CABRANES dissents in a separate opinion.

CARDAMONE, Circuit Judge:

Appellees Gail Fox and her son Stephen Fox among other plaintiffs sued defendants, 25 gun manufacturers, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York (Weinstein, J.). A four-week jury trial resulted in a jury verdict finding 15 of the defendants negligent in the marketing and distribution of handguns. Although nine of these 15 defendants were found...

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