Personal Injury/Wrongful Death

A factual summary of the $10 million Zwerner verdict in a Virginia personal injury lawsuit, outlining the jury’s findings, liability, and damages awarded at trial.

Toscano Hired On Federal Drug Investigation and to Defend Against Felony Drug Charges in Fairfax County

Virginia sexual assault lawyers explain new employer liability law, who qualifies as a vulnerable victim, and how survivors can pursue civil justice.

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 the assistant principal that the student might be armed — yet no action was taken. Later in the day, 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 co-counsel at Breit Biniazan, the case against former assistant principal Ebony Parker alleged gross negligence for failing to respond to repeated warnings. The case argued that the assistant principal 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 the assistant principal's responsibility for the injuries. 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. 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.