Vanessa Bryant sues helicopter company

Many Texans were shocked and saddened to learn of the deaths of Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and the other people who were with them on the helicopter that was transporting them to a youth basketball game. On the morning of a memorial service in Los Angeles for Kobe and Gianna Bryant, Kobe Bryant’s widow, Vanessa Bryant, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the company that owned the helicopter.

Negligence allegations in the wrongful death lawsuit

The civil complaint alleges several claims against Island Express, the company that employed the helicopter pilot and that owned the aircraft. The lawsuit alleges that the pilot had previously been disciplined in 2015 for violating the visual flight rules and that the company should not have allowed the flight because of the heavy fog conditions. The lawsuit also alleges that the pilot was traveling at 180 mph and that he failed to properly monitor the weather conditions or to abort the flight.

Allegations about the lack of safety

While the pilot had the proper certifications to use the helicopter’s navigation system, the company did not. This means that it might not have been legal for the helicopter to have been flown in the foggy weather. Vanessa Bryant also argues that the helicopter was unsafe because of the lack of certifications for Island Express. She is seeking unspecified damages from the company for her losses.

 

Kobe Bryant’s widow is likely very wealthy, meaning that she does not need to recover substantial monetary damages through a wrongful death lawsuit. However, by filing the lawsuit against the company, she might be able to hold Island Express accountable for its negligence and deter other companies from engaging in similar conduct. People who lose loved ones because of the negligent or wrongful conduct of other people or entities may want to talk to experienced wrongful death attorneys. The lawyers might analyze the facts, evidence, and circumstances of a case and provide people with an analysis of the merits of their potential legal claims. Through a wrongful death lawsuit, the surviving family members might hold the negligent party liable to pay damages for their losses.