Kobe Bryant’s widow Vanessa Bryant filed a lawsuit along with co-plaintiff Christopher Chester against the Los Angeles County Sheriff and Fire Departments.
The lawsuit was filed claiming that personnel from Los Angeles County Sheriff and Fire Departments took graphic pictures of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gigi, the wife and daughter of Christopher Chester and another 5 people.
$75 Million Lawsuit – $31 Million Awarded
The lawsuit alleged that pictures were taken of the helicopter wreckage and also of the bodies and then shared with the public causing grief and emotional distress to the families. The lawsuit claimed $75 million in compensation and claimed that the Los Angeles County Sheriff and Fire Departments did not have procedures in place to prevent their personnel from sharing photos of the crash nor proper sensitivity training to prevent them from sharing pictures and causing emotional distress.
The Federal Jury heard testimony for over 10 days and listened to personnel from the Los Angeles County Sheriff and Fire Departments confirm that they did share graphic images. As a result, the Federal Jury awarded $16 million to Vanessa Bryant and $15 million to Christopher Chester.
