LA County to pay $2.5M to two families, settling Kobe Bryant crash photo lawsuits
Los Angeles County on Tuesday approved a payout of $2.5 million to settle two lawsuits filed by families who lost relatives in the helicopter crash that killed NBA legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others.
The lawsuits, from the Altobelli and Mauser families, allege they suffered emotional distress over graphic photos of the January 2020 wreck reportedly shared by a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy and a firefighter.
Vanessa Bryant, Kobe’s widow, has filed a similar lawsuit and the case is scheduled to go to trial in February.
The $2.5 million settlement still needs to be approved by a judge.
Under the deal, Matthew Mauser, whose wife was killed in the crash in the Calabasas hills, would receive $1.25 million.
Siblings J.J. Altobelli and Alexis Altobelli, who lost their parents and 14-year-old sister, would get the other half.
Skip Miller, an attorney representing the county, called the settlements “reasonable and fair to all concerned.”
“We are pleased that the Mauser and Altobelli families, who as private citizens suffered the same grief and loss as others, will be able to move forward after these settlements.
“We also hope that eventually the other families will be able to do the same.”
The images in question, which haven’t been made public, were shared by a firefighter with a group of off-duty colleagues and by a deputy trainee with bar patrons, according to the lawsuits.
Vanessa Bryant said in a deposition that “for the rest of my life I’m going to have to fear that these photographs of my husband and child will be leaked.”
With Post wires
