Kobe Bryant's widow Vanessa seeks major financial damages in wrongful death suit
Vanessa Bryant filed suit against Island Express Helicopters Inc., estate of pilot Ara Zobayan
Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter says Kobe Bryant was bigger than basketball.
Kobe Bryant’s widow, Vanessa, is seeking to recover significant financial damages in her wrongful death lawsuit against the helicopter company and the estate of the late pilot that operated the helicopter involved in the late NBA superstar’s deadly crash in January, according to a report.
Vanessa Bryant filed suit against Island Express Helicopters Inc. and the estate of pilot Ara Zobayan in February. The lawsuit accuses the defendants of negligence that contributed to the deaths of Bryant, his teenage daughter Gianna, and seven other passengers, including a failure to check weather conditions prior to the flight and flying into foggy conditions in which the pilot was not cleared to operate an aircraft.
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"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," Bryant’s attorneys said in court filings obtained by The Blast.
After halting due to coronavirus, the 2020 NBA season is set to begin on July 31.
"Although the total specific amount of personal injury damages that Plaintiff seeks is TBD, Kobe Bryant's future lost earnings equal hundreds of millions of dollars," the filing adds.
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Representatives for Bryant’s legal team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The fatal helicopter crash occurred Jan. 26 in Calabasas, California. The Los Angeles County medical examiner-coroner’s office identified blunt-force trauma as the official cause of death for all nine passengers.
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Kobe Bryant’s death triggered an outpouring of sadness and tributes around the world. A five-time NBA champion, Bryant became a successful entrepreneur and filmmaker in retirement. He won an Academy Award for his 2017 animated short film “Dear Basketball.”
At the time of his death, Kobe Bryant’s fortune was estimated at $600 million. His substantial ownership stake in Bodyarmor, worth $200 million as of 2018, passed to Vanessa Bryant and his surviving children, FOX Business reported last month.
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This story has been updated with specific language from the court filing and to note that the exact damages sought in the lawsuit are to be determined.