Bridges v. Parrish
Annotate this CasePlaintiff filed a complaint against Harvey and Barbara Parrish, alleging that Defendants negligently stored their firearm, which Defendants' fifty-two-year-old son Bernie stole from their home and used to shoot Plaintiff. Plaintiff alleged that Defendants knew or should have known that Bernie posed a risk of serious harm to Plaintiff yet failed to take reasonable steps to secure their guns so they were not accessible to Bernie. The trial court dismissed the case. The court of appeals affirmed, holding that Defendants did not have a common law duty to secure their firearms from Bernie. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding that Defendants did not owe Plaintiff a legal duty, and therefore, Defendants were not liable for the criminal conduct of their son.
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