Pennsylvania civil courts are increasingly holding property owners, businesses, and ghost gun manufacturers accountable in shooting-related lawsuits involving negligent security, foreseeable harm, and product liability claims.

PHILADELPHIA, PA / ACCESS Newswire / May 11, 2026 / As gun violence cases continue to move through Pennsylvania courts, civil litigation is increasingly examining the legal responsibility of third parties, including property owners, businesses, and manufacturers whose conduct may have contributed to foreseeable harm.

Unlike criminal prosecution, which is a government-led process focused on punishment, civil litigation is a private legal action that allows injured parties to pursue financial compensation. The two systems operate independently. A civil claim may proceed regardless of whether a criminal prosecution has occurred, is ongoing, or resulted in an acquittal.

Civil and Criminal Cases Serve Different Purposes

The state prosecutes criminal cases and requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Private parties bring civil claims under a lower evidentiary standard, a preponderance of the evidence, and examine whether negligent conduct by any party contributed to the harm.

In cases involving shootings, civil courts frequently examine whether third parties created or failed to address conditions that made violence foreseeable. This includes property owners who ignored documented security failures, commercial operators who continued serving visibly intoxicated individuals, and manufacturers whose products may have contributed to preventable harm.

These distinctions are often reflected in questions such as what is the difference between a civil and criminal case for crime victims, and whether a crime victim can file a civil lawsuit separately from a criminal prosecution.

Third-Party Liability and Negligent Security

Negligent security is a premises liability theory that evaluates whether a business or property owner maintained adequate safety measures given known or knowable risks. Pennsylvania courts assess prior incident history, documented complaints, physical security infrastructure, and whether the business or property owner took reasonable steps to address identifiable hazards.

The legal question is not whether violence was unpredictable in general, but whether specific, documented conditions created a foreseeable risk that the business or property owner failed to address. These claims are commonly associated with questions such as can I sue my apartment complex after a shooting, what is a negligent security claim, and can I sue an apartment complex if I was shot on the property. It is worth noting that suing a residential landlord directly is significantly more limited under Pennsylvania law than suing a commercial property owner or apartment management company.

The Victims' Recovery Law Center, based in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, handles civil claims of this type on behalf of shooting victims and their families. In one representative case, the firm pursued a civil lawsuit against an apartment building management company after a resident was shot outside his building, arguing that the company had failed to address known criminal activity on the property. Five other firms had declined the case. It was resolved for a seven-figure confidential settlement.

Ghost Gun Litigation

A separate and developing area of civil litigation involves ghost guns, firearm components sold in kit form that can be assembled into untraceable weapons outside the federal background check system. Civil lawsuits in this area typically involve product liability and negligence theories, examining whether manufacturers or distributors of these components bore legal responsibility for foreseeable harm.

The Victims' Recovery Law Center is among the civil litigation firms currently handling cases against Polymer80, Inc., a manufacturer of ghost gun components, on behalf of victims and families injured or killed by ghost guns. The firm recently obtained a decision by a judge in Philadelphia awarding $30 million to the family of a 14-year-old victim against Polymer80. This litigation reflects a broader national effort to examine civil accountability for manufacturers whose products foreseeably enable violent harm. Public interest in questions such as what is a ghost gun lawsuit and whether ghost gun manufacturers can be sued reflects the growing awareness of this area of law.

About The Victims' Recovery Law Center

Founded in 2007, The Victims' Recovery Law Center is a civil litigation firm dedicated to representing victims of violent crime and catastrophically injured plaintiffs. The firm's practice is limited to civil court representation of victims of crime and does not prosecute criminal cases or represent criminal defendants. Its work focuses on pursuing financial accountability from property owners, businesses, and other entities whose alleged negligence or security failures contribute to preventable harm. David P. Thiruselvam is licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey and is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I sue after being shot?

Yes. Civil lawsuits allow shooting victims to pursue financial compensation from third parties, such as property owners or businesses, whose negligence contributed to the harm. A civil claim can move forward independently of any criminal case.

Q: Who can be held responsible besides the attacker in a shooting?

Liability may extend to property owners, businesses, and manufacturers whose conduct contributed to unsafe conditions or enabled the harm. In ghost gun cases, for example, manufacturers and distributors may also face civil claims.

Q: What is a negligent security lawsuit?

A negligent security lawsuit alleges that a business or property owner failed to maintain adequate safety measures given known risks on the property. Courts assess prior incident history, security infrastructure, and whether identifiable hazards were addressed.

Q: Can you sue a ghost gun manufacturer?

Yes. The Victims' Recovery Law Center recently obtained a $30 million award from a Philadelphia court against Polymer80, Inc., on behalf of the family of a 14-year-old shooting victim. These cases involve product liability, foreseeability, and manufacturer accountability.

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SOURCE: Victims' Recovery Law Center