Vanessa Bryant Reportedly Seeks Millions in Wrongful Death Lawsuit
Written by SOURCE on June 9, 2020
Vanessa Bryant is looking to get damages awarded in her wrongful death lawsuit against Island Express Helicopters, the company that owned the helicopter that crashed and killed Kobe and their 13-year-old daughter Gianna, E! News reports.
Vanessa is claiming that her family has lost out on a substantial sum of money due to Kobe’s untimely death. According to court documents the publication obtained, Vanessa “seeks economic damages, non-economic damages, prejudgment interest, punitive damages, and other relief as the Court deems just and proper.” Despite not naming a specific amount, the lawsuit argues that “Kobe Bryant’s future lost earnings equals hundreds of millions of dollars.”
The 72-page wrongful death lawsuit was initially filed back in February against Island Express Helicopters and Ara George Zobayan, the pilot who was flying the Sikorsky S-76 helicopter that crashed on Jan. 26 and took the lives of nine people. The pilot also died. The lawsuit argues that the crash was “a direct result of the negligent conduct of Zobayan for which Defendant Island Express Helicopters is vicariously liable in all respects.” It also says it occurred because Zobayan decided not to postpone the flight despite weather conditions that made visibility limited.
The portion of the lawsuit that mentions monetary damages was included in a new case summary that was filed on Monday, Entertainment Tonight reports.
Back in May, Berge Zobayan, the brother of the pilot, responded to the suit and said that the occupants of the flight knew the risks when they boarded. “Any injuries or damages to plaintiffs and/or their decedent were directly caused in full or in part by the negligence or fault of plaintiffs and/or their decedent, including their knowing and voluntary encounter with the risks involved, and that this negligence was a substantial factor in causing their purported damages, for which this answering defendant bears no responsibility,” the response argued.
