Kramer Levin Filed Amicus Brief for Sandy Hook Victims’ Families in Connecticut Supreme Court

The Connecticut Supreme Court last week reversed the dismissal of the claims of the Sandy Hook victims’ families against the manufacturers, distributors and sellers of the AR-15 military assault rifle that was used to kill their family members. Litigation partner Michael Dell and his daughter, Rebecca Dell, an associate at Paul Weiss, filed an amicus brief on behalf of ten emergency room physicians and trauma surgeons from around the country in support of the appeal. The physician amici have treated patients shot or affected by the AR-15 or similar military assault weapons, including in the mass shootings in Aurora, Columbine, Newtown and San Bernardino. The physicians provided detailed, first-hand accounts of the impact on the body of a bullet shot from an AR-15 or similar military assault weapon. The Connecticut Supreme Court picked up on those descriptions in its opinion, explaining that these weapons can cause "maximum carnage with extreme efficiency." The Connecticut Supreme Court also cited the physicians’ explanation in our brief that assault weapons advertisements can activate people who are predisposed to violence. The New York Times mentioned our brief in its article concerning the Court’s decision.