By Harvey Hoffman
Vanessa Bryant claims the January helicopter crash that killed her husband Kobe and daughter Gianna (above) cost her family hundreds of millions in future earnings.
In a case summary statement submitted to Los Angeles Superior Court, the 38-year-old’s wrongful death lawsuit against Island Express Helicopters following the deaths of 41-year-old Kobe and 13-year-old Gianna does not name a specific amount.
But Bryant is seeking extensive damages.
“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,” according to the filing. “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.”
In addition to Kobe and Gianna, the crash killed seven other people, including the 50-year-old pilot Ara Zobayan.
The wrongful death suit also names Zobayan’s estate as a defendant and a previous filing in the case said he “failed to properly monitor and assess the weather prior to takeoff” and “failed to abort the flight when he knew of the cloudy conditions,” as well as “failed to properly and safely operate the helicopter resulting in a crash,” PEOPLE reported.
Bryant is seeking a jury trial for the lawsuit, according to the case summary statement. No trial date has been set in the case, and it is always possible an out-of-court settlement between the sides will be reached.
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