The legal battle over the photos taken at the scene of the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash has concluded and Vanessa Bryant will receive a final payout of $28.85 million.
Reports indicate that Vanessa has settled her lawsuit against Los Angeles County over the county’s sheriff’s and fire department’s release of photos depicting the scene of the fatal crash in which her husband and daughter Gianna were killed.
Just in: Vanessa Bryant has settled her remaining claims against Los Angeles County over the misuse of photos from the helicopter crash that killed Kobe and Gianna. She and Kobe’s two youngest daughters, Capri and Bianka, will be added as plaintiffs to finalize the deal. pic.twitter.com/gUjcDqBtsS
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) March 1, 2023
According to the Jury reports, Vanessa was awarded$15 million in federal court (it was supposed to be $16 million, but the jury found an error), but that wasn’t the end of L.A. County’s exposure. In the new settlement, Bryant’s children will join him as plaintiffs and collect a portion of the money he already won.
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What did Vanessa’s Lawyer say about the Lawsuit’ Victory?
According to reports, the settlement must still be approved by the court. In a statement, Luis Li, Vanessa’s lawyer expressed his hope that their victory would deter future litigation of this nature. He said: “Today marks the successful culmination of Mrs. Bryant’s courageous battle”.
Vanessa’s lawyer Luis Li of @WilsonSonsini:
“She fought for her husband, her daughter, and all those in the community whose deceased family were treated with similar disrespect. We hope her victory at trial and this settlement will put an end to this practice.” #Kobe pic.twitter.com/n3D6dTcory
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) March 1, 2023
When Bryant first won, she promised to give the proceeds to the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation. It’s not clear what will happen to the settlement money. Also in 2021, she and the other families who lost loved ones in the crash settled with the helicopter company privately.
Chris Chester’s wife and daughter were killed in the accident and he was awarded $15 million in a separate lawsuit against Los Angeles County. Last year, he settled his remaining claims for nearly $20 million.
Even after their victories in court, Bryant and Chester could have maintained some leverage had they pursued claims under California state law against the county that were not included in the trial in federal court.
With the addition of two $1.25 million settlements for the other families involved in the crash, the total cost of the scandal for L.A. County is now over $50 million.
In regards to Kobe Bryant’s case, we have this much information at this time. We will inform you of any new information get about this case. In the meantime, you can bookmark venturejolt.com to read up on everything we’ve reported on deaths, autopsies and more.