It’s official Vanessa Bryant fought and won her case after two long years!
According to KTLA75 A federal jury on Wednesday awarded Vanessa Bryant and another plaintiff $31 million in combined damages over graphic photos taken and shared from the scene of the 2020 helicopter crash that killed her husband, Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, their daughter, Gianna, and seven other people.
Vanessa Bryant will receive $16 million.
The jury deliberated for 4 1/2 hours before reaching the verdict. Vanessa Bryant cried quietly as it was read.
VERDICT: Vanessa Bryant awarded $16 million in damages by jurors. She broke down sobbing when clerk read the unanimous decision.
Chris Chester awarded $15 million.
— Nancy Dillon (@Nancy__Dillon) August 24, 2022
and
Jurors awarded Vanessa Bryant:
$2.5 Million for past suffering re: LACSD
$7.5 Million for future suffering re: LACSD
$1 Million for past suffering re: LA County Fire
$5 Million for future suffering re: LA County Fire— Nancy Dillon (@Nancy__Dillon) August 24, 2022
Bryant tearfully testified on Friday that news of the photos compounded her still-raw grief a month after losing her husband and daughter, and that she still has panic attacks at the thought that they might still be out there.
“I live in fear every day of being on social media and these popping up,” she told jurors. “I live in fear of my daughters being on social media and these popping up.”
The county already had agreed to pay $2.5 million to settle a similar case brought by two families whose relatives were killed in the crash. Vanessa Bryant and Chris Chester, whose wife, Sara, and daughter Payton also died, declined to settle.
Chester was awarded $15 million.
Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and other parents and players were flying to a girl’s basketball tournament when their chartered helicopter crashed in the Calabasas hills on January 26th, 2020.
Federal safety officials blamed pilot error.
During the trial, Li played jurors security video of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy drinking at a bar showing the photos to the bartender, who shakes his head in dismay. The lawyer then showed an image of the men laughing together later.
Li described firefighters looking at the phone photos two weeks later at an awards banquet, and showed the jury an animated chart documenting their spread to nearly 30 people.
An attorney for the county defended the taking of the photos as an essential tool for first responders seeking to share information when they thought they might still save lives at the chaotic, dangerous, and hard-to-reach crash scene.
An attorney for Los Angeles County declined comment on the verdict outside the courtroom. It was not immediately known if the would appeal the verdict.
Vanessa posted on Instagram:
We are so happy for her and the family.
Ciara and Monica support Vanessa Bryant at trial over crash site photos of husband Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna pic.twitter.com/50Ow06duZg
— Dionne Grant (@DionneGrant) August 23, 2022
and
It’s official: A federal jury has ordered Los Angeles County to pay Vanessa Bryant $16 million and Chris Chester $15 million.
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) August 24, 2022
We are still not over the loss of Kobe and Gigi, justice has been served!
