The tragic death of 15-year-old Cosmo Silverman at Campbell Hall’s parking lot in June has led his family to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the school. Silverman was crushed between two vehicles—a Rivian R1S SUV and a Volvo SUV—on June 4, an incident that has since illuminated alleged safety failures within the school's infrastructure.
According to a press release from Panish Shea & Ravipudi LLP, obtained by FOX LA, the lawsuit claims that Campbell Hall ignored previous safety complaints about the parking lot's design and violated California Code of Regulations Title 5, Article 4, Section 14030(b) by failing to separate vehicular and pedestrian traffic patterns appropriately. Cosmo’s parents, Adam Silverman and Louise Bonnet, are seeking damages for alleged negligence and wrongful death, with the amount to be determined during the trial.
Robert Glassman, the attorney representing the family, told NBC Los Angeles, "We've done quite extensive investigation into how something like this could have happened, this unthinkable tragedy." He asserted that "the design of this parking lot was in fact very dangerous and was not compliant with California standards and regulations." The Silverman family has resolved with the driver of the vehicle that struck Cosmo, but continues to pursue actions against the school for what they consider a failure to provide a safe environment.
In a comprehensive complaint, the family and their counsel outlined that student pickup protocols forced students to navigate through moving vehicle traffic without designated pedestrian pathways. "California regulations and standards exist for this reason," Glassman elucidated. Since the fatality, a report by Daily News shows that Campbell Hall has implemented changes to its parking lot infrastructure, including the addition of fences and pedestrian pathways, which the lawsuit contends could have prevented the tragedy had they been installed earlier.
Amidst this legal battle, the personal impact on the Silvermans is profound. Glassman shared with Daily News, "Silverman was from all accounts, a very kindhearted, creative and special person," noting that his loss has left the family irreparably broken. The attorney adds that if the case can help "raise awareness of potential dangers in school parking lots up and down the state," there may be some meaning found in amidst their great loss.
