his widow compensated for the publication of photos of the fatal accident
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These are photos that will cost Los Angeles County dearly. A jury sentenced him on Wednesday, August 24, to pay 31 million dollars in damages (30 million euros), because of photos taken by rescuers at the site of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant , 41, and her 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, January 26, 2020. Vanessa Bryant, the widow of the basketball player and mother of Gianna, will receive 16 million. Complaining alongside him in the case, Chris Chester, whose 45-year-old wife Sarah and their 13-year-old daughter Payton are among the victims of the accident, was awarded compensation of 15 million dollars.
The jury reached its verdict on Wednesday after about four and a half hours of deliberation. The verdict was given on the day Los Angeles celebrates Mamba Day, August 24, or 24/8, the two favorite numbers worn by Bryant, nicknamed Black Mamba, during his 20-year professional career (1996- 2016).
Images shown to outside personalities
Officers from the sheriff’s office as well as firefighters dispatched to the scene of the accident in January 2020 had taken pictures on the spot, including photos of the shredded remains of the victims. The civil trial in Los Angeles showed how some first responders showed those photos to people outside the case, including a bartender. A sheriff’s office officer had also sent them to a friend while they were playing video games together. On the defense side, Los Angeles County argued that the footage never became public and that its senior officials were quick to erase it from officers’ electronic devices.
But during the two-week hearing, Vanessa Bryant and Chris Chester recounted their constant fear that the images would one day be revealed to the general public on the Internet. The two plaintiffs, whose complaints have been merged, alleged emotional damage.
Vanessa Bryant, who wept as the verdict was read, left the court without speaking to reporters. She then posted a photo of Kobe Bryant and their daughter who died in the accident, writing: ” All for you ! I love you ! JUSTICE for Kobe and Gigi! »
Mr Chester’s lawyer, Jerry Jackson, had asked the jury on Tuesday to award the two plaintiffs $1 million for each year of their estimated life expectancy, or $40 million for 40-year-old Vanessa Bryant, and $30 million for 48-year-old Chris Chester. Jerry Jackson called these demands “fair and reasonable compensation”. “There is no sum of money too great to compensate for what they have been through”he said.
Responsibility of the helicopter pilot
Vanessa Bryant’s lawyer, Craig Lavoie, told him he wanted justice, and that those involved be held accountable. “We are here because of intentional behavior: the county violated the constitutional rights of Mr.me Bryant and Mr. Chester”he advanced.
Other families of victims were awarded $2.5 million in compensation last year in the same case. An investigation concluded that the helicopter pilot was responsible for the accident, a “misjudgment” having led to its “disorientation” in the middle of thick fog.
The death at 41 of Kobe Bryant, emblematic player of the Los Angeles Lakers and considered one of the best basketball players in history, had caused great emotion around the world.
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