Kobe Bryant’s Family Gets ₹ 240 Crore In Case Over Helicopter Crash Photos
A lawsuit was filed by his widow Vanessa Bryan over deputies sharing graphic photos of the NBA star, and his daughter killed in a 2020 helicopter crash.
Late basketball star and NBA legend Kobe Bryant’s family is set to receive $29 million (around ₹ ₹2,392,011,176) from Los Angeles County to settle a lawsuit over the helicopter crash photos, BBC reported. This also included the $15 million (Rs ₹1,238,060,985) that the jury awarded them last year.
The lawsuit was filed by his widow Vanessa Bryant over deputies and firefighters sharing graphic photos of the NBA star, his daughter and other victims killed in a 2020 helicopter crash. Notably, Sheriff’s deputies and firefighters who rushed to the scene of the January 2020 crash snapped pictures of the carnage, including the mangled remains of the Los Angeles Lakers legend and his 13-year-old daughter.
Vanessa Bryant then sued Los Angeles County arguing that the photos violated her privacy and caused her emotional distress.
Lawyers for LA County called the settlement “fair and reasonable” adding, “We hope Mrs Bryant and her children continue to heal from their loss.”
“Today marks the successful culmination of Mrs Bryant’s courageous battle to hold accountable those who engaged in this grotesque conduct. She fought for her husband, her daughter, and all those in the community whose deceased families were treated with similar disrespect. We hope her victory at trial and this settlement will put an end to this practice,” lawyers for Vanessa Bryant said in a statement on Tuesday.
The agreement resolves any future claims by Mr Bryant’s three surviving daughters, related issues pending in state court, and other costs. Relatives of other victims were also granted $2.5 million in compensation for the photo-taking in 2021.
Kobe Bryant is widely recognized as one of the greatest basketball players ever, a figure who became the face of his sport during a glittering two decades with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was a five-time NBA champion in a career that began in 1996 straight out of high school and lasted until his retirement in 2016.
On January 26, 2020, Mr Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven other people died in the crash in Calabasas, California.
