The wife of Kobe Bryant was given $16 million (PS13.6m) for damages arising from pictures of the crash of a helicopter which claimed the life of the US basketball player and his daughter in the year 2020.
Vanessa Bryant, 40, reported having anxiety attacks after discovering that images of her taken by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies and firefighters were shared. Wallpics.com
A federal jury has ruled the county must compensate Mrs. Bryant for emotional distress.
Plaintiff Christopher Chester will be paid $15 million.
The husband of Mrs Bryant, Kobe Bryant, 41, daughter Gianna 13 and six friends from the family were killed after their aircraft crashed into California in January 2020. The man named Chester has lost both the wife Sarah along with his daughter Payton in the crash.
The Los Angeles Times claiming county employees took pictures at the scene of the crash as well as shared the photos with friends is causing anger among families of the victims.
In November of last year the county was willing to settle $2.5m (PS2.1m) in compensation for the emotional trauma caused by two families that lost loved ones in the crash . But Mrs Bryant refused to pay.
While wailing in the witness’ stand in the last few days Mrs Bryant remembered staying at home and watching her children as she read the LA Times article.
“I bolted out of the house and I ran to the side of the house so the girls couldn’t see me. I wanted to run… down the block and just scream,” she said.
Mrs Bryant stated that she was “blindsided, devastated, hurt and betrayed” by the revelations of the leak. She “[lives] in fear every day of… having these images pop up” on social media.
“I don’t ever want to see these photographs,” she added. “I want to remember my husband and my daughter the way they were.”
Jurors in the trial were able to hear that firefighters and sheriff’s deputy deputies were able to take horrifying mobile phone pictures on the scene of the accident and then showed them to other witnesses in an event at a bar, and also at an event gala.
The workers “poured salt in an open wound and rubbed it in” by their actions her lawyer Luis Li said during opening statements in the last week.
A lawyer representing the county unsuccessfully claimed the point that “site photography is essential” and that the photographs were not posted publically.
Bryant was the five-time NBA champion was a player in his team the LA Lakers throughout his career and is widely regarded as one of the best players of the game’s history.
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