Va. justices refuse to revive wrongful death suit

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The Supreme Court of Virginia has refused to reinstate a lawsuit involving the death of a Norfolk police recruit.

In a unanimous ruling Friday, the court affirmed Norfolk Circuit Court Judge Mary Jane Hall’s decision to toss out Patricia Kohn’s lawsuit. Hall ruled that Virginia’s worker’s compensation law is Kohn’s remedy.

The plaintiff’s husband, John Kohn, collapsed during self-defense training at the Norfolk Police Department in December 2010 and later died.

A state Labor Department investigation found the 40-year-old Kohn was repeatedly struck in the head.

Patricia Kohn sued a former police chief, a former acting police chief and several training officers in 2011.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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