In January 2020, NBA superstar Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash. Rescue workers take photos at the scene of the accident, which they later forward. She experienced "emotional suffering", says the basketball player's widow and is suing for damages.
Two and a half years after the death of US basketball star Kobe Bryant in a helicopter accident, a lawsuit has begun that the widow has filed for photos of the crash site. At the trial in Los Angeles, ten jurors were initially selected on Wednesday, six women and four men, reports the news channel CNN.
Bryant's widow, Vanessa, claims in her civil suit that she experienced emotional distress because police officers and firefighters took photos of the crash site and later forwarded them to friends and other rescue workers. According to Bryant's lawyers, at least 11 police officers and a dozen firefighters shared the photos in the 24 hours after the Jan. 26, 2020 accident.
In the weeks that followed, an employee of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Office "showed off" the photos at a bar, another sent photos to a group of video game friends, and a firefighter showed photos at an awards show. Vanessa Bryant is demanding unspecified damages.
The suing district of Los Angeles does not deny that the photos were taken. Lawyers argue, however, that the pictures were never made public and have since been deleted. "Two and a half years later, no photos of the district have surfaced in the media, none can be found online, and plaintiffs admit they never saw them," said attorney Mira Hashmall.
Vanessa Bryant's lawsuit has been consolidated with that of another victim's relative. In a separate process last year, plaintiffs were awarded a total of $2.5 million ($2.45 million today) in damages for the photos.
Basketball star Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other passengers died on January 26, 2020 when their helicopter crashed near Los Angeles. According to the investigation, the pilot of the helicopter apparently lost his bearings after falling into thick clouds.
Bryant is considered one of the best players in the history of the North American professional league NBA. He won five NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers in his 20-year career and won gold medals with the US team at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. In 2016 he ended his career.
