Sambrano v. Savage Arms, Inc.

2014 NMCA 113, 7 N.M. 10
CourtNew Mexico Court of Appeals
DecidedJuly 29, 2014
DocketDocket 32,924
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 2014 NMCA 113 (Sambrano v. Savage Arms, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Mexico Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sambrano v. Savage Arms, Inc., 2014 NMCA 113, 7 N.M. 10 (N.M. Ct. App. 2014).

Opinions

OPINION

WECHSLER, Judge.

An intruder broke into the home of Angel Vale and killed her using a rifle manufactured and distributed by Defendant Savage Arms, Inc. (Savage). Savage had sold the rifle with a cable lock manufactured by Defendant N.A.D. Corporation (NAD). The complaint alleged, among other things, that the lock was not fit for its intended purpose and that Savage was negligent for pairing and selling the lock with the rifle. Savage moved to dismiss on the basis that the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (the PLCAA), 15 U.S.C. §§ 7901-03 (2012), precludes this action against Savage and the intentional criminal acts of the intruder constitute an independent intervening cause that precludes Savage’s liability as a matter of law. The district court denied the motion. We hold that the PLCAA, which insulates a firearm manufacturer from suit “caused by the criminal or unlawful misuse of firearm products ... by others when the product functioned as designed and intended[,]” embraces this action. 15 U.S.C. § 7901(b)(1). Because the PLCAA dictates reversal, we do not reach the argument by Savage that tort liability does not apply.

BACKGROUND

Plaintiffs, Monique Sambrano, individually, and as personal representative of the Estate of Angel Vale, and Edward Lucero, allege in their complaint that an intruder, Defendant De Angelo Montoya, entered the home of Vale and Lucero, her fiancé. Lucero owned a rifle with a lock. The rifle was manufactured and distributed by Savage, and the lock was distributed by NAD. Savage and NAD “paired” the rifle and the lock for sale to the general public as a packaged set. While in the home, Montoya took possession of the rifle and opened the lock “with a key that was not a designated key for unlocking” the lock. Vale returnedhome, confronted Montoya, and he shot and killed her with the rifle. The complaint asserts claims for negligence, strict liability, misrepresentation and/or breach of warranty, res ipsa loquitur, damages for wrongful death, loss of consortium, and punitive damages. The claims center on the allegations that Savage and NAD negligently selected the lock that was not fit for its intended purpose; should not have paired the lock with the rifle; failed to use ordinary care in inspecting, testing, packaging, importing, and pairing the lock with the rifle; and failed to use the required care to package and distribute a safe product.

Based on the PLCAA, Savage moved to dismiss the complaint under Rule 1-012(B)(6) NMRA for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. The district court denied the motion, and over Plaintiffs’ objection, ultimately included language certifying the case for an interlocutory appeal in its order. This Court granted Savage’s application for leave to file an interlocutory appeal, accepting the appeal.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

We review a district court’s action on a motion to dismiss under Rule 1-012(B)(6) under de novo review. Valles v. Silverman, 2004-NMCA-019, ¶ 6, 135 N.M. 91, 84 P.3d 1056. We accept all well-pleaded factual allegations as true and determine “whether the plaintiff might prevail under any state of facts provable under the claim.” Id. (internal quotation marks and citation omitted).

PLCAA QUALIFIED CIVIL LIABILITY ACTION

Congress designed the PLCAA to prohibit claims against manufacturers and distributors of firearms “for the harm solely caused by the criminal or unlawful misuse of firearm products ... by others when the product functioned as designed and intended.” 15 U.S.C. § 7901(b)(1). A “qualified civil liability action” under the PLCAA must be dismissed. 15 U.S.C. § 7902(b). As relevant to the case, such an action is generally brought against a manufacturer or seller of a “qualified product” for damages resulting from criminal or unlawful misuse of the product by the plaintiff or a third party. 15 U.S.C. § 7903(5)(A). A “qualified product” includes a firearm and the component parts of a firearm. 15 U.S.C. § 7903(4).

To ascertain Congress’s intent in enacting the PLCAA, we first look to the language that Congress used. See Baker v. Hedstrom, 2013-NMSC-043, ¶ 11, 309 P.3d 1047 (stating that the plain language of a statute is the primary indicator of legislative intent). Viewing the language of the PLCAA, it requires for a qualified civil liability action that the action (1) be brought against a manufacturer or seller of a qualified product, (2) for relief including damages, (3) that resulted from the criminal or unlawful misuse of a qualified product by the plaintiff or a third party. 15 U.S.C. § 7903(5)(A). On its face, the PLCAA applies to the allegations of the complaint in this case in that Plaintiffs have brought suit (1) against Savage, a manufacturer or seller of a firearm, (2) for damages, (3) that result from the criminal misuse of the rifle by Montoya, a third party.

Although Plaintiffs do not dispute that a third party, Montoya, criminally misused Savage’s rifle to cause them damage, the issue concerning the applicability of the PLCAA arises because Plaintiffs contend that the PLCAA does not apply because they base their claims on Savage’s actions related to the lock rather than on Montoya’s criminal action. Indeed, the complaint alleges, among other allegations, that (1) Savage was negligent because, with NAD, it selected the lock as a cost-saving measure and the lock was unfit for its intended purpose; and (2) Savage and NAD did not exercise ordinary care in pairing the lock with the rifle and in adopting proper safety devices for the rifle, and the pairing of the lock and the rifle created a foreseeable danger of injury and serious harm.

Plaintiffs’ argument raises the question of the scope of the intent underlying the PLCAA. See Rayellen Res., Inc. v. N.M. Cultural Props. Review Comm., 2014-NMSC-006, ¶ 38, 319 P.3d 639 (stating that the first step in statutory construction is to discern and give effect to the intent of the Legislature). Congress expressed its intent by stating its purposes in adopting the PLCAA. It stated, in part, that it intended to

prohibit causes of action against manufacturers, distributors, dealers, and importers of firearms ... for the harm solely caused by the criminal or unlawful misuse of firearm products ... by others when the product functioned as designed and intended... [, and] prevent the use of such lawsuits to impose unreasonable burdens on interstate and foreign commerce.

15 U.S.C. § 7901(b)(1), (4). Subject to exceptions for negligent entrustment, negligence per se, and product liability that do not apply in this case, 15 U.S.C. §

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Bluebook (online)
2014 NMCA 113, 7 N.M. 10, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sambrano-v-savage-arms-inc-nmctapp-2014.