© 2024 WSHU
NPR News & Classical Music
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
We received reports that some iPhone users with the latest version of iOS (v17.4) cannot play audio via the Grove Persistent Player.
While we work to fix the issue, we recommend downloading the WSHU app.

Bill Would Allow Victims Of Gun Violence To Sue For Emotional Damages In New York

Courtesy of Pixabay

New York lawmakers have proposed a bill that would allow families of gun violence victims to sue the shooter for additional compensation, like emotional distress.

The current law allows families to bring civil lawsuits against shooters, but only for economic compensation, like lost income. The proposed legislation would allow families to recover damages for non-economic losses, like grief and suffering. 

State Senator Jim Gaughran, a Syosset Democrat who sponsors the bill, says parents who lose a child to gun violence should be compensated for their loss. 

“They should have the opportunity to obtain some financial remuneration from a killer, who perhaps may have means, so that they can try to move on with their lives as best as they possibly can.”

Gaughran says the law would only apply to deaths intentionally caused by a lethal weapon. 

Forty-one other states have similar laws. 

Desiree reports on the lives of military service members, veterans, and their families for WSHU as part of the American Homefront project. Born and raised in Connecticut, she now calls Long Island home.