New settlement of Kobe Bryant accident scene photos – NBC Los Angeles

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously agreed Tuesday to pay an additional $4.95 million to the family of Sarah Chester and her 13-year-old daughter Payton for graphic images of the scene taken on a mobile phone by first responders to the accident. The accident also claimed the lives of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna.

The settlement was approved during a closed board session, plus $15 million in damages to the Chester family by a federal jury on August 24. Bryant’s widow, Vanessa, also received $15 million in compensation.

According to Mira Hashmol, the outside attorney representing the county in the litigation, the additional funds approved by the council on Tuesday “settle all outstanding cases relating to the state’s outstanding claims, future Chester Children’s claims, attorneys’ fees and costs.” We sincerely hope that this settlement will help Mr. Chester and his children to move forward with their lives. ”

Hashmol said the county believes the $19.5 million blanket settlement with the Chester family is “fair and reasonable for all involved.”

The settlement approved on Tuesday applies only to the Chester family. It was not clear if Vanessa Bryant still planned to pursue her government allegations of privacy breaches caused by the photos taken at the scene.

Chris, husband of Sarah Chester, and the Chester family are suing the county over selfies taken by county sheriffs and firefighters from the January 2020 crash site in Chatsworth that killed nine people, including Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna general.

Today marked the 10th day of Vanessa Bryant’s trial against Los Angeles County, and this morning witnessed the mayor taking pictures of the Kobe Bryant accident.

Lawyers for Chester and Vanessa Bryant argued during the trial that the plaintiffs experienced emotional pain and suffering after learning that selfies of human remains at the scene had been taken and displayed without reason to the waiter, present to hand out the awards, and sent by the deputy mayor to a colleague while they were playing a video game.

The county did not dispute sharing some photos with a few officers and firefighters. But defense attorneys asserted that all footage taken by first responders was destroyed by order of the mayor and the fire chief, and in any way no longer exists. The county insisted that the photos did not enter the public domain and did not appear on social media.

The accident killed Alyssa Altobelli, 14, along with loved ones Chester and Bryant. Keri Altobelli, 46; John Altobelli, 56; Christina Mauser, 38 years old; The pilot, Ara Zubian, is 50 years old.

Two other families settled separately with the county over the photos for $1.25 million each. The families of the victims reached an agreement with the helicopter company about the accident, but these terms remain confidential.