The Kobe Bryant crash photos lawsuit was settled by Los Angeles County for nearly $29 million
The 21-Year Aftermath of Kobe Bryant and her Families: A Family Lawsuit Taking Photos Against the Sheriff and Fire Departments in Los Angeles
A lawsuit over photos that were taken at the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and seven others has been settled for nearly $29 million.
The litigation relates to the January 2020 helicopter crash in a California hillside and photos that took place in its aftermath.
Mira Hasmam, the attorney for LA County called the statement “fair and reasonable.” She said she hopes Bryant and her children continue to heal from their loss.
Bryant and Chester contended that photos of their loved ones violated their privacy and caused emotional distress. Each testified to living in fear the photos may surface, despite the county’s assertion the pictures had been destroyed.
“The $28,850,000 settlement includes the verdict awarded by the federal jury in August 2022, and further resolves all outstanding issues related to pending legal claims in state court, future claims by the Bryant children, and other costs, with each party responsible for its respective attorneys’ fees,” Hashmall said in a statement.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in September 2022 agreed to pay an additional $4.95 million to Chester, who lost his wife Sarah and 13-year-old daughter Payton in the helicopter crash.
Kobe Bryant, the former Lakers star, five-time NBA champion and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, was traveling with Gianna and seven others to a youth basketball game when the helicopter they were aboard crashed into hills in Calabasas west of Los Angeles on Jan. 26, 2020.
Sheriff’s officials and firefighters taking photos of the bodies and the wreck were an essential part of assessing the situation, as argued by the accused at trial.
The pictures were shared between employees of the sheriff’s and the fire departments as well as video game players who attended an awards banquet. They were also seen by some of their spouses and in one case by a bartender at a bar where a deputy was drinking.
The Bryant family lost a husband and daughter less than one month ago, and her grief still feels raw, she testified during the trial.
