Tragedy at Campbell Hall: Lawsuit Filed After Student Death in Parking Lot Accident
The parents of Cosmo Silverman, a 15-year-old boy who tragically died after being struck by a vehicle on June 4, 2025, in the parking lot of Campbell Hall, are suing the school. The lawsuit alleges severe negligence and systemic failures in supervision and campus safety that led to Cosmo's death.
The Fatal Incident
Cosmo Silverman, a 9th-grade student at the private Studio City school, was fatally injured during student pick-up time. According to the Los Angeles Police Department's initial investigation, the teen was walking between two SUVs in the pickup line when, for an unknown reason, the driver of a green Rivian SUV appeared to have accelerated as the teen was walking by. The boy was pinned between the two vehicles, causing a chain reaction crash. The tragedy unfolded in front of multiple horrified witnesses, including Cosmo's father. He was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead by medical personnel.
The Lawsuit: Allegations of Negligence
Cosmo's parents have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Campbell Hall, seeking to hold the school accountable for the circumstances leading to their son's death. The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleges that the school failed to implement necessary safety improvements to the parking lot despite prior complaints from parents about its dangerous design and operation.
According to the family's attorney, the school’s parking lot practices violated California Code of Regulations Title 5, Article 4, Section 14030(b) and P.A.S.S. guidelines. The lawsuit further alleges that the school only implemented the required safety improvements after their son's death. The parents are seeking damages for negligence, wrongful death, and related claims.
Robert Glassman, an attorney with the law firm Panish Shea Ravipudi LLP, representing Cosmo’s parents, stated that the school was put on notice by its community and parents that the parking lot was unsafe and that they knew there was a problem.
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Parental Concerns and Lack of Supervision
The lawsuit claims that students had to regularly walk through lines of moving traffic in the parking lot with no pedestrian paths, and that the school’s protocol for school pickup violated state regulations. It is alleged that on the day of the incident, school employees who were usually present to help direct traffic in the parking lot were not there. Glassman stated that there were no adults there to supervise the kids.
The suit reads that before the incident, students routinely weaved through multiple lanes of traffic to access parked cars or to make their way to parents picking them up and that Cosmo was one of many students navigating his way through a line of intermittently accelerating and stopping vehicles when he was pinned and killed.
School's Response and Subsequent Changes
Since Cosmo’s death, the school has changed how students are picked up, the suit says. These changes include a fence separating the pickup line from a nearby lawn, a foot pathway for pedestrians, and a stop sign in front of the pathway.
The suit alleges that had these basic safety measures been implemented before June 4, 2025, Cosmo and his classmates would not have been able to walk in between the vehicular traffic waiting in the pickup line at the end of school, and this tragedy would have been averted, and that the circumstances leading to this tragedy were entirely foreseeable.
Aftermath and Grieving Community
The crash led to a chain reaction, causing other vehicles to collide. Firefighters treated five other victims at the scene, two minors and three adults who suffered minor injuries. Campbell Hall students were in the midst of final exam week at the time of the crash. Classes and final exams were canceled a day after Silverman's death, while the school's gymnasium was open for those grieving the loss.
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The Plaintiffs: Adam Silverman and Louise Bonnet
Cosmo was the son of married artists Adam Silverman and Louise Bonnet, who are the plaintiffs in the suit. The suit reads that during his tragically short life, he left an indelible mark on his family, his friends, and everyone fortunate enough to know him and that for Adam and Louise, the death of their son was not just the loss of a life, it was the loss of every heartbeat that filled their home with joy, every dream they had watched take shape, and every fortunate moment they had counted on sharing.
Legal Action: Seeking Accountability
Glassman said the decision to file a lawsuit came after Cosmo’s parents were “stonewalled” by the school’s insurance company, and they were unable to reach a resolution. He stated that the lawsuit wasn’t filed out of anger, but out of necessity.
Campbell Hall: A School With Notable Alumni
Campbell Hall is a private Episcopal school whose notable alumni include Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen; Dakota and Elle Fanning; and Jrue, Aaron and Justin Holiday.
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