Vanessa Bryant is pursuing extensive damages in a lawsuit over the helicopter crash that killed her husband Kobe Bryant and their daughter, Gianna. The NBA star and his 13-year-old daughter died in a January crash alongside six other passengers and the pilot in a helicopter owned by Island Express Helicopters. The mom of four and her legal team submitted a case summary statement to the Los Angeles Superior Court regarding the damages she is seeking from her wrongful death lawsuit against the company.
More from MamásLatinas: Vanessa & Kobe Bryant: A timeline of their love story
Vanessa is going after the company's pilot, Ara Zobayan, who was flying the helicopter when it crashed on a foggy morning on January 26. He was flying Kobe, Gianna, and six others to a basketball game. All persons on board—John, Keri, and Alyssa Altobelli; Sarah and Payton Chester; and Christina Mauser—died, including the pilot.
Vanessa says Kobe's death affected the family financially.
Vanessa is saying that her husband's death cost their family "hundreds of millions of dollars," according to court documents obtained by E! News. The documents also state, "Although the total specific amount of personal injury damages that Plaintiff seeks is TBD, Kobe Bryant's future lost earnings equals hundreds of millions of dollars." Island Express declined to comment when contacted for a comment by the publication.
The mom is suing for the damages that losing her husband and daughter left behind.
The documents don't state an exact amount that the family is seeking. "As a result of Kobe Bryant's and GB's deaths, Vanessa Bryant seeks economic damages, non-economic damages, prejudgment interest, punitive damages, and other relief as the Court deems just and proper," the documents that People obtained stated. The case summary statement also revealed that Vanessa is seeking a jury trial for the lawsuit. No date has been set yet.
Vanessa filed the lawsuit in February.
The wrongful death lawsuit was initially filed in February, a month after the accident, in which the pilot is accused of failing to properly monitor and assess the weather prior to takeoff. The complaint also claims that Island Express Helicopters “knew or should have known” that the pilot was previously cited by the FAA for violating “the visual flight rules minimums by flying into an area of reduced visibility from weather conditions.” People previously reported that the attorneys representing Island Express Helicopters filed a response in Los Angeles in May that argued that the father and daughter "had actual knowledge of all of the circumstances, particular dangers, and an appreciation of the risks involved and the magnitude thereof" of riding in the helicopter.
The attorneys also said that Kobe and Gigi "voluntarily assume the risk of the accident, injury, and damages" by stepping foot inside the aircraft.
Kobe was building an empire.
Although Forbes reported that Kobe had amassed an estimated fortune of $600 million prior to his death, he seemed like he was just getting started. Following his retirement from the NBA in 2016, the athlete continued to pursue many other business paths to secure a post-basketball career as a business mogul. He was focusing on the Mamba Sports Academy, the multimedia agency Granity Studios, and his investments in companies like Bodyarmor. He was just 41 years old when he died, and there is no telling how much more he could have accomplished.
