Kobe Bryant Helicopter Crash: Two Families Settle With LA County For $2.5 Million Over Alleged Photo Sharing Of Fatal Scene
Nov. 2 2021, Published 6:28 p.m. ET
Two of the families whose loved ones tragically passed away in the helicopter crash that also killed Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, have reportedly reached a settlement with Los Angeles County in connection to the alleged leaking and sharing of photos from the 2020 crash site.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved $2.5 million to be split equally between the family of Christine Mauser and the family of John, Keri, and Alyssa Altobelli. Per the settlement, $1.25 million dollars will go to Mauser’s widower, Matthew Mauser, and $1.25 million will go to J. J. and Alexis, the two surviving children of John and Keri Altobelli.
Mauser and the Altobelli siblings reportedly filed their own separate federal lawsuits against L.A. County claiming they suffered emotional distress after the news outlet revealed through an investigation that L.A. County’s sheriff’s deputies and firefighters took photos of the crash's aftermath.
Mauser and the Altobelli siblings also alleged that the authorities shared those photos for purposes that had nothing to do with their duties as law enforcement.
According to the outlet, the county’s legal counsel recommended that they settle with the Mauser and Altobelli families due to the uncertain risks and costs of potential litigation when the case inevitably went to trial.
“Given the risks and uncertainties of litigation, as well as the tragic accident giving rise to the lawsuits, fair and reasonable settlements at this time will avoid further litigation costs; therefore, full and final settlements of the two cases are warranted,” the county’s legal counsel said in a report.