Gun Company Must Pay Teacher's Widow
POSTED: 5:06 p.m. EST November 14, 2002
UPDATED: 10:19 a.m. EST November 15, 2002
PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. -- A jury awarded the widow of teacher Barry Grunow $1.2 million from a gun distributor Thursday.
Pam Grunow's lawsuit accused Valor Corp of distributing a gun that was "unsafe, defective and lacked features that would have prevented a minor from using it."
"I hope that this will be a clarion call to other suppliers and distributors -- get that Saturday Night Special off your shelves," said Grunow's attorney Bob Montgomery (pictured, below right).
"This gun ... had legal uses, legitimate uses. It wasn't the piece of junk that we heard the plaintiff's call it. It was a good self-defense gun," said Valor attorney John Renzulli.
The case stems from the murder of teacher Barry Grunow by one of his students. Nathaniel Brazill, 16, shot Grunow to death two years ago in a West Palm Beach classroom.
Grunow's lawyer asked for $76 million. But the jury found gun distributor Valor Corporation 5 percent liable for Grunow's death. The owner of the gun and the school board held the most of the liability, the jury found.
The jury didn't find any liability for Brazill, who pulled the trigger. Brazill stole the unloaded gun and bullets from a cookie tin stashed away in a dresser drawer of family friend Elmore McCray.
The jury said Grunow's family should get $24 million from the three parties. The school board was told to pay her $10.8 million, the family friend was told to pay $12 million and Valor $1.2 million.
This is the first lawsuit in the country in which a gun company has in any way been held responsible in a murder.
Both sides plan to appeal the decision.
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(Postings will continue until 11 p.m., and begin again at 5:30 a.m.)
Pam Grunow's lawsuit accused Valor Corp of distributing a gun that was "unsafe, defective and lacked features that would have prevented a minor from using it."
"I hope that this will be a clarion call to other suppliers and distributors -- get that Saturday Night Special off your shelves," said Grunow's attorney Bob Montgomery (pictured, below right).
"This gun ... had legal uses, legitimate uses. It wasn't the piece of junk that we heard the plaintiff's call it. It was a good self-defense gun," said Valor attorney John Renzulli.
The case stems from the murder of teacher Barry Grunow by one of his students. Nathaniel Brazill, 16, shot Grunow to death two years ago in a West Palm Beach classroom.
Grunow's lawyer asked for $76 million. But the jury found gun distributor Valor Corporation 5 percent liable for Grunow's death. The owner of the gun and the school board held the most of the liability, the jury found.
The jury didn't find any liability for Brazill, who pulled the trigger. Brazill stole the unloaded gun and bullets from a cookie tin stashed away in a dresser drawer of family friend Elmore McCray.
The jury said Grunow's family should get $24 million from the three parties. The school board was told to pay her $10.8 million, the family friend was told to pay $12 million and Valor $1.2 million.
This is the first lawsuit in the country in which a gun company has in any way been held responsible in a murder.
Both sides plan to appeal the decision.
Join Our Online Discussion And Tell Us What You Think Of This Decision(Postings will continue until 11 p.m., and begin again at 5:30 a.m.)
Previous Stories:
- November 6, 2002: Defense Finishing Up In Grunow Gun Trial
- October 31, 2002: Brazill Refuses To Testify In Gun Trial
- October 31, 2002: Widow Testifies In Gun Trial
- October 25, 2002: Students Testify In Gun Trial
- October 21, 2002: Gun At Center Of New Trial After Teacher Murdered
- October 7, 2002: Teacher's Widow Files 'Saturday Night Special' Suit
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