Adam Silverman and Louise Bonnet have sued Campbell Hall after their 15-year-old son, Cosmo, was struck and pinned between SUVs in the school's pickup lot on June 4. The complaint alleges the school ignored repeated parental warnings about the hazardous "Triangle Parking Lot" and that the traffic director was not on duty that day. Cosmo later died of traumatic injuries; five others were injured. The family says the school only added basic safety measures after the incident and filed suit after settlement efforts stalled.
Parents Sue Campbell Hall After 15-Year-Old Is Fatally Pinned Between SUVs In School Pickup Lot
Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLPCosmo Silverman.
A California couple has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Campbell Hall, an elite K–12 Episcopal school in Studio City, after their 15-year-old son, Cosmo Silverman, was struck and pinned between SUVs in the school's triangular pickup lot on June 4.
Complaint and Allegations
The complaint, filed on Dec. 30 by attorneys for Adam Silverman and Louise Bonnet, alleges the school ignored repeated warnings from parents and the community about the hazardous design and operation of its "Triangle Parking Lot." According to the filing, students were forced to walk amid moving vehicles without marked pedestrian routes, and the staff member who normally directs traffic was not present that day.
"Had the school acted on numerous prior complaints it received about the dangerous design and operation of its Triangle Parking Lot, Cosmo would still be alive today," the complaint states.
What Happened
Local media and police reports say the collision occurred just after 3 p.m. on June 4 as dismissal was underway. A driver of a green Rivian SUV struck Cosmo while he was walking between cars near the rear of the campus, and he became pinned between two SUVs. Emergency responders described him as "gravely injured." Cosmo and his father were taken to a nearby hospital; Cosmo later died of traumatic injuries, the County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner reported.
Five other people suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the same crash, including another teenage boy, an unidentified minor and three adults, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLPThe Campbell Hall parking lot prior to the fatal incident, according to the complaint.
School Response and Legal Action
The lawsuit contends Campbell Hall only implemented a "series of basic safety measures" after the fatality — steps the plaintiffs say should have been taken earlier. Attorneys for the family say the school and its insurer did not meaningfully resolve the matter outside court and that the insurer "stonewalled" settlement efforts, leaving litigation as the family's only option.
Robert Glassman, the family's lawyer, told the Los Angeles Times the school "was put on notice by its community" about the unsafe conditions and "knew there was a problem." He added the suit is intended to hold the school accountable and prevent similar tragedies.
Impact on the Family
The complaint closes with a statement about the family's grief, describing Cosmo as "their pride, their hope, their purpose" and saying that the loss has left the parents with "a lifetime of loss and an ache that words cannot soften."
Campbell Hall and the Los Angeles Police Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to reports. The case remains pending following the Dec. 30 filing.
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