Personal Injury/Wrongful Death
Newport News, Virginia — In a case that gripped national attention, Toscano Law Group has secured a $10 million jury verdict after a two-week trial on behalf of first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner, who was shot by a 6-year-old student at Richneck Elementary School. “The Newport News school division had a duty to Abby — and they failed her miserably that day,” said lead attorney Diane Toscano. “This verdict speaks not just for our client, but for teachers everywhere.” A Tragic Day in the Classroom On January 6, 2023, Zwerner was teaching her first-grade class when a 6-year-old student entered with a handgun taken from home. Multiple staff members warned administrators that the student might be armed — yet no action was taken. Moments later, the child shot Zwerner, striking her hand and chest. Despite her injuries, she ushered her students to safety. The Legal Battle: Accountability for Inaction Represented by Diane Toscano and Jeff Breit, the case against former assistant principal Ebony Parker alleged gross negligence for failing to respond to repeated warnings. Originally filed as a $40 million suit, the case argued that school administrators ignored multiple credible reports — a failure that nearly cost Ms. Zwerner her life. Expert testimony detailed her extensive injuries and emotional trauma, while Toscano’s legal team emphasized systemic failures in school safety response. The jury’s $10 million verdict confirmed that such inaction was both foreseeable and legally unacceptable. Why This Case Matters This verdict establishes a precedent for school safety accountability and signals to school systems nationwide that negligence will not go unchallenged. Key takeaways: - School officials have a legal duty to act on safety warnings. - Failure to respond can result in multi-million-dollar liability. - Teachers’ rights to a safe workplace are enforceable under Virginia law. Watch & Read More YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsDRzuFaXFI Reuters — https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/virginia-teacher-shot-by-6-year-old-awarded-10-million-civil-trial-2025-11-06/ AP News — https://apnews.com/article/68865dde6f4953ef8a9dbda30e957ddb
The lawsuit alleges negligence on the part of the hotel/motel in maintaining safe conditions around its pool area.
Toscano Law Group settled a wrongful death insurance claim in favor of its client for the maximum allowable under the insurance policy held by USAA.
Toscano Law Group announced the launch of a personal injury practice area and the addition to dedicated personal injury staff.
Today we filed a $40 million lawsuit on behalf of our client Abby Zwerner against Newport News school division.
A settlement was reached in our clients' claim against Norfolk State University for behavior endured while on the football team.
Toscano Law Group settled an insurance claim in favor of its client in the amount of $400,000.
Our law firm filed a notice of intent to file a wrongful death lawsuit against Page County, Virginia officials on behalf of our client, the estate of Cody Shotwell Brown.
