Los Angeles County on Tuesday agreed to pay $28.85 million to Kobe Bryant’s family, ending a three-year lawsuit that began after deputies shared graphic photos of the 2020 helicopter crash that killed the Lakers star, his daughter and seven others perished.
The settlement agreement filed in federal court combines additional funds for unresolved state law claims with the $15 million a jury has already awarded to the basketball star’s widow, Vanessa Bryant, after a trial in federal court last year.
“Today marks the successful culmination of Ms. Bryant’s courageous fight to hold accountable those guilty of this grotesque behavior,” Bryant’s attorney, Luis Li, said in a statement. “She fought for her husband, her daughter and all those in the community whose deceased relatives were treated with the same disrespect. We hope that her victory at trial and this settlement will put an end to this practice.”
Mira Hashmall, the lead attorney representing the county in the case, called the settlement “fair and reasonable” and said it “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 the fees of its respective attorneys.”
While Hashmall said the Board of Supervisors has already approved the agreement, a federal judge will need to sign before the settlement is finalized.
In all, handling the crash and its aftermath is expected to cost taxpayers just over $51 million in attorneys’ fees, costs, judgments and settlements paid to four different families.
