The passing of former NBA star Kobe Bryant in January 2020 stirred controversy within the Bryant family due to the reported negligence of emergency officials responding to the accident. After almost three years of legal battles, Bryant has settled her final lawsuit against Los Angeles County.
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Vanessa Bryant leaves a federal courthouse in Los Angeles after winning her initial trial in August 2022. Photo by Jae C. Hong, AP -
Kobe Bryant hugs his daughter, Gianna, during a Los Angeles Lakers game in 2019. Photo by Allen Berezovsky, Getty Images -
The Sunday Jan. 26 crash occurred on a hillside in Calabasas, California. Photo by James Anderson, National Transportation Safety Board via AP -
LA County sheriffs and fire department respond to the helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020. Photo by the National Transportation Safety Board via AP -
Former NBA Superstar, Kobe Bryant, and his daughter Gianna Bryant passed away in a helicopter crash along with seven others in January 2020 while they were en route to a travel basketball game. Photo by Mark J. Terrill, AP -
Lakers fans gathered around a makeshift memorial for Kobe Bryant at LA Live plaza in front of the Staples Center after learning of Bryant’s death. Photo by Frederic J. Brown, Getty Images
Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna Bryant, passed away in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020 on a hillside in Calabasas along with seven other individuals. There were no survivors from this crash. After the initial crash, information was released saying that the LA County fire department and sheriff’s department had shared graphic photos of the remains of deceased passengers.
As a result of the release of the graphic photos, Bryant sued the LA County originally in September of 2020 for negligence and invasion of privacy. Bryant’s attorney’s alleged that the first responders in the accident used their personal phones to take the photos and did not have a legitimate reason to do so.
LA County Deputy Joey Cruz received and distributed the photos after his training officer sent them to him. During the trial, Cruz was cross examined and questioned by plaintiff’s attorney Craig Lavoie.
“If I could go back, I would do everything differently regarding the photos,” Cruz said, noting that his lapse in judgment was a result of the stress he felt while working the scene of the crash.
Bryant won this trial in August and $16 million was awarded to her and fellow plaintiff Chris Chester, who also lost his wife and daughter in the same crash. The judge had determined that the county sheriff’s and fire departments failed to control the death images of the family members.
“I live in fear every day of seeing — of being on social media and having these photographs pop up or having my 19-year-old be on social media and having these images pop up.”
Vanessa Bryant in her testimony
After being awarded $16 million, a new settlement was released including Bryant’s children as plaintiffs in the case. This settlement was finalized and an additional $12.85 million was awarded to the family.
The lawyers for LA County released a statement in order to announce that the trial had concluded.
“We believe the settlement approved by the Board in the Bryant case is fair and reasonable,” said Mira Hashmall, lead trial counsel for L.A. County. “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 concluded, “We hope Ms. Bryant and her children continue to heal from their loss.”
Although the trial has ended, it is clear based on fan responses and continued memorials for Bryant, healing from the loss of these beloved figures will be an ongoing process.
