Skip to main content
Cloudy icon
57º

Vanessa Bryant Wrongful Death Lawsuit Claims Kobe's Family Lost 'Hundreds of Millions' in Future Earnings

(Frederic J. Brown/Afp Via Getty Images)

Vanessa Bryant is seeking monetary damages in her wrongful death lawsuit following the tragic loss of her husband, Kobe Bryant, and their daughter, Gianna. In a new case summary filed by Bryant on Monday, she is asking for substantial compensation from Island Express Helicopters, and claims the family lost "hundreds of millions of dollars" in lost earnings from her husband's death, according to court documents obtained by ET.

Bryant, 38, is seeking compensation from the company -- which owned and operated the helicopter that crashed, claiming the lives of her husband, their 13-year-old daughter and seven others on Jan. 26 -- and from the estate of pilot Ara Zobayan, who also died in the accident.

Recommended Videos



"As a result of Kobe Bryant’s and GB’s deaths, Vanessa Bryant seeks economic damages, non-economic damages, prejudgment interest, punitive damages, and other relief as the Court deems just and proper," the summary states. 

The documents state that "although the total specific amount of personal injury damages the plaintiff seeks is TBD, Kobe Bryant's future lost earnings equal hundreds of millions of dollars."

Bryant first filed the wrongful death lawsuit back in March. In the original 72-page lawsuit, obtained by ET, Bryant claimed that Zobayan "had a duty to use that degree of care that an ordinarily careful and prudent pilot would use under the same or similar circumstances." 

In its claims, the lawsuit also cites several areas where Zobayan may have been negligent. The lawsuit also alleges that Island Express Helicopters had "advance knowledge of the unfitness" of Zobayan due to a previous violation in 2015. 

The new filings indicate that the lawsuit is currently stalled, pending the release of the NTSB accident report, which has yet to be generated as the crash is still under investigation. 

Attorneys for Zobayan's estate have requested a "motion to transfer venue to a county outside Los Angeles County on the grounds that an impartial jury cannot be empaneled in Los Angeles Superior Court in this matter."

In response to Bryant's lawsuit, a company spokesperson for Island Express Helicopters previously told ET in March, "This was a tragic accident. We will have no comment on the pending litigation."

RELATED CONTENT:

Kobe Bryant Crash: Altobelli and Mauser Families File Wrongful Death Lawsuits

Vanessa Bryant Files Lawsuit Following Kobe and Gianna's Deaths

Vanessa Bryant Appreciates Kobe Murals Being 'Saved' Amid Protests

Vanessa Bryant Encourages Fans to 'Fight for Change'

 


Loading...