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Saturday, July 26
Gun dealer sues widow to recoup fees
By Bill Douthat, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Saturday, July 26, 2003
WEST PALM BEACH -- Pam Grunow won't be held personally liable for legal fees spent by a gun distributor that successfully challenged a lawsuit brought by the widow of slain teacher Barry Grunow.
The gun dealer, Valor Corp., won't go after the widow's assets but is suing her as a representative of her husband's estate, Valor attorney Tom Warner said in court Friday.
Pam Grunow was worried that she might lose her house if Valor won the right to reimbursement for costs of defending itself against the lawsuit, said Rebecca Larson, Grunow's attorney.
Larson said the estate has no assets.
Grunow lost her lawsuit accusing Valor of being responsible for her husband's death.
The Broward County company sold the.25-caliber handgun that Lake Worth Middle School student Nathaniel Brazill used to kill Grunow on the last day of school in 2000.
Valor asked Circuit Judge Jorge Labarga on Friday for a ruling that the company is entitled to collect its legal expenses from the Grunow estate. Labarga withheld ruling while the 4th District Court of Appeal decides a related appeal by Pam Grunow.
A jury in November found Valor partially liable for Barry Grunow's death because of negligence in distributing the handgun without safety devices.
This year, Labarga tossed out the jury verdict, ruling that the finding of negligence was inconsistent because jurors also found that the handgun was not a defective product.
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You don't really want to go after a widow of a slain teacher.
On the other hand Grunow was warned of the consequences of the suit.
She said she wanted to make a statement to the gun industry while all along those of us that know the law firm knew it was Montgomery behind it all.
She has already gotten settlements from the Pawn shop insurance company where the gun was sold legally to the killers relative, plus settlements from the owner of the gun and his insurance company.
But that wasn't enough, they wanted to go after Valor.
Montgomery was fresh off his win against the tobbaco industry and was looking for an in to the gun industry.
Wayne
Gun dealer sues widow to recoup fees
By Bill Douthat, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Saturday, July 26, 2003
WEST PALM BEACH -- Pam Grunow won't be held personally liable for legal fees spent by a gun distributor that successfully challenged a lawsuit brought by the widow of slain teacher Barry Grunow.
The gun dealer, Valor Corp., won't go after the widow's assets but is suing her as a representative of her husband's estate, Valor attorney Tom Warner said in court Friday.
Pam Grunow was worried that she might lose her house if Valor won the right to reimbursement for costs of defending itself against the lawsuit, said Rebecca Larson, Grunow's attorney.
Larson said the estate has no assets.
Grunow lost her lawsuit accusing Valor of being responsible for her husband's death.
The Broward County company sold the.25-caliber handgun that Lake Worth Middle School student Nathaniel Brazill used to kill Grunow on the last day of school in 2000.
Valor asked Circuit Judge Jorge Labarga on Friday for a ruling that the company is entitled to collect its legal expenses from the Grunow estate. Labarga withheld ruling while the 4th District Court of Appeal decides a related appeal by Pam Grunow.
A jury in November found Valor partially liable for Barry Grunow's death because of negligence in distributing the handgun without safety devices.
This year, Labarga tossed out the jury verdict, ruling that the finding of negligence was inconsistent because jurors also found that the handgun was not a defective product.
**************************
You don't really want to go after a widow of a slain teacher.
On the other hand Grunow was warned of the consequences of the suit.
She said she wanted to make a statement to the gun industry while all along those of us that know the law firm knew it was Montgomery behind it all.
She has already gotten settlements from the Pawn shop insurance company where the gun was sold legally to the killers relative, plus settlements from the owner of the gun and his insurance company.
But that wasn't enough, they wanted to go after Valor.
Montgomery was fresh off his win against the tobbaco industry and was looking for an in to the gun industry.
Wayne