The only aspect I think makes this worthwhile is not that the businesses were liable, but that it would make them back down from being restrictive.
So if we make businesses liable for the actions of 3rd parties, such as robbers, spree killers, etc., how long will it be before somebody demands CCW folks be required by law to carry mandatory liability insurance. I can see that if the insurance companies get pushed out of one realm, they will definitely encroach in another.
isn't the $$$$$$$$$$ (or the potential loss of some of it) that gets their attention EVERY time?
D'uh. That is what for-profit business is all about - money. It is the lifeblood of what keeps the business alive.
Personally, I don't see how a person or business can be made to be responsible for the actions of a 3rd party not of their ward, control, or employment. Why is a business responsible for the actions of a bad guy?
Also, given the premise...
Under such legislation, any person, business, organization, unit of government, etc. that prohibits firearms can be held liable for harm inflicted on a person who might otherwise have used a firearm in self-defense.
would this law just cover those folks who have permits (in states requiring permits) or anyone of age who could legally carry (in states where no permit is required), and their wards (e.g. children)? So, if you are a teenage customer unaccompanied by parents in a store and you are shot during a robbery, then you aren't covered because you would not otherwise have used a firearm in self-defense because the state doesn't allow you to carry.
Would you have to prove that you actually have a gun to use, but that it is left at your last location (such as in your car) where you could legally carry without restriction? In other words, if you have a CCW permit, is that enough to get you covered under the law or do you have to have a gun and prove it was specifically not on your person because you were in the restrictive business? If you leave home, say on a trip around the state, without a gun and go into a restrictive business and get shot by a robber, are you covered since you have a permit and own a gun even though you didn't bother to have it on the trip?
Perhaps if this catches on we can use it as a stepping stone to getting rid of "defenseless zones" all together.
It really scares me to think that gun owners consider themselves to be defenseless if they don't have a firearm on their person. I see the concept repeated time and time again on forums such as this, by participants at gun schools, and in speaking with folks at the range. If a gun is your only consideration for defense, and not having it means you are defenseless, there is a definite lack of preparedness on your part.
I don't consider myself as well armed without a gun, but certainly not defenseless. Considering yourself to be defenseless is the first administrative step to becoming a victim.