Product Liability & Mass Torts Digest

The recent decision in Mendoza v. SharkNinja Operating, LLC by the District of Colorado offers a practical illustration of how federal courts are applying the heightened reliability standard under the 2023 amendments to Rule 702.

In Colwell, the plaintiff was injured when a Sig Sauer P320 handgun allegedly discharged unintentionally into his thigh.  The P320 “functions as a single-action pistol,” and while it has internal safeties “designed to prevent inadvertent discharges,” it lacks external safeties, such as a manual thumb safety or tabbed trigger safety.