The victims’ families sued the county for emotional trauma.© AFP
Relatives of those killed in the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant will receive $2.5 million in damages for graphic photos of the crash that were secretly taken by sheriff’s deputies and firefighters. The settlement, agreed to by Los Angeles County on Tuesday, does not apply to the NBA legend’s widow, who is suing over those unauthorized photos. Los Angeles Lakers star Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others died in January 2020 in a mountain accident near Los Angeles.
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board and the coroner’s office are authorized to photograph the scene only.
But it emerged that deputies and firefighters working for Los Angeles County also took photos on their phones and shared them with others.
The victims’ families sued the county for emotional trauma.
Matthew Mouser, whose wife Christine died in the crash, will receive $1.25 million. Siblings JJ Altobelli and Alexis Altobelli, whose mother, father and sister were killed, will share another $1.25 million.
Bryant’s widow, Vanessa, also sued Los Angeles County, alleging that she and her family suffered emotional distress over the images. That case continues.
An investigation into the accident revealed that the pilot likely became disoriented after the Sikorsky S-76 flew into the clouds.
Bryant is widely recognized as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, a man who became the face of his game during a dazzling two-decade stint with the Lakers.
He was a five-time NBA champion in a career that began straight out of high school in 1996 and lasted until his retirement in 2016.
He was also a two-time Olympic gold medalist, helping the U.S. squad of NBA stars to titles in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012.
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