Massachusetts Bill Would Require Gun Liability Insurance

As lawmakers cast around for ways to curb gun-related violence, some are hoping the insurance market might offer incentives. A bill filed on Jan. 18 in Massachusetts would require gun owners to purchase liability insurance in the event that a firearm is used to injure. The insurance policies would give those injured by a weapon a legal recourse, backers of the bill say, but they also would create financial incentives that could reduce accidents and fatalities. Gun owners, for example, might see lower insurance rates if they agreed to take firearms training courses and properly stored their weapons.