After a jury of ten found that Vanessa Bryant has experienced and will continue to experience severe emotional distress as a result of the death scene photos taken on the cellphones of 8 L.A. County Sheriff’s deputies—photos she fears will one day surface publicly—she has won her lawsuit against Los Angeles County. Her lawsuit was based on this anxiety.
$16 million was given to Vanessa by the jury. Chris Chester, who perished along with his wife and daughter in the helicopter crash, received a $15 million payout. Following the reading of the verdict, Vanessa started crying. Vanessa polled the jury and nodded as she looked at each member individually.
Both the Los Angeles County Fire Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department were found guilty.
Vanessa Bryant Wins BIG LA County Lawsuit For GRUESOME Kobe Bryant Death Photos, Awarded $16 Million
The deputies shared the pictures with friends, family, and even random patrons at a bar in addition to taking them. The pictures were even shown to fire officials at a party.
The photos, according to the County’s attorneys, have never been seen and have been deleted from the allegedly compromised cellphones, so there was no need to be concerned that they might leak.
The defense attorney for Chester requested up to $32.5 million during closing arguments. Bryant’s lawyer asked the jury to award what is just rather than requesting a specific sum. The trial took place over the course of two weeks, and at times it contained so many graphic details that Vanessa frequently had to leave the courtroom in tears.
Kobe Bryant and Gigi Bryant, Sarah Chester and Payton Chester, and 5 other people perished in the collision on January 26, 2020. Kobe would have turned 44 on Wednesday.
What do you think? Do you agree with the final amount and do you think there should have been a bigger disciplinary action for the officers? Let us know in the comments below.
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