The victims’ families sued the county for emotional trauma.©AFP
Relatives of those who died in the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant will receive $2.5 million in compensation for graphic photos of the crash that were taken surreptitiously by sheriff’s deputies and firefighters. The settlement, agreed to Tuesday by Los Angeles County, does not apply to the NBA legend’s widow, who is also suing over the unauthorized photos. Los Angeles Lakers star Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others died in the crash in the hills near Los Angeles in January 2020.
The only people allowed to take photos of the scene were investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board and the coroner’s office.
But it appeared that deputies and firefighters working for Los Angeles County were also taking photos on their phones and sharing them with others.
The victims’ families sued the county for emotional trauma.
Matthew Mauser, 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 because of the photos. This trial continues.
An investigation into the accident found that the pilot likely became disoriented after flying the Sikorsky S-76 into clouds.
Bryant is widely recognized as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, a figure who became the face of his sport during two brilliant decades with the Lakers.
He was a five-time NBA champion during 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 America’s star-studded NBA team win titles in 2008 in Beijing and 2012 in London.
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