Kobe Bryant Crash Photos Trial: Vanessa Bryant Awarded $16 Million in Civil Case vs. Los Angeles County

The nine jurors have now heard the arguments from both the plaintiffs and the defense on the civil case filed by Vanessa Bryant against Los Angeles County for the Kobe Bryant crash photos.

The case stemmed from Los Angeles County's deputies and firefighters taking photos of the bodies from the horrific crash that killed the former Los Angeles Lakers star and his daughter two years ago.

While Los Angeles County's attorneys argued that the photos never surfaced because they were deleted, the plaintiffs focused on the cover-up and the apparent invasion of privacy.

At the heart of it all is Kobe's wife and Gianna's mother, Vanessa, who sued Los Angeles County for $42.5 million for invasion of privacy and negligence.

The wife of late Kobe Bryant claimed that the county sheriff's and fire department employees improperly shared images of human remains from a helicopter crash that killed the NBA legend, their 13-year-old daughter, and seven other individuals in January 2020.

Vanessa has made it public that she is suffering panic attacks at the mere thought that those photos might surface one day.

Luis Li, one of Vanessa's attorneys, argued in his closing statement that the actions of the county personnel were like "they poured salt into an unhealable wound."

The defense argued that the photos were never made public. However, the plaintiffs' lawyers argued that there was evidence that several other people received the images before Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva ordered the photos to be deleted.

The lawyers further noted that the thought of these photos surfacing one day would continue to terrorize the families of those who died in that crash.

Jury Awards Vanessa Bryant $16 Million in Civil Suit

After an 11-day trial where Vanessa Bryant was forced to face the graphic details surrounding her husband and daughter's deaths, the jury has awarded Vanessa $16 million in damages.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the jury found that Los Angeles County was liable for damages against the plaintiffs for the conduct of deputies and firefighters in taking photos of the victims at the crash site and preventing its spread.

Chris Chester, whose wife and daughter also died in the crash and whose photos might have also been taken, sued the county alongside Vanessa. According to USA Today, he was separately awarded $15 million by the same jury.

Both plaintiffs sued the county because of the private photos taken by the deputies and firefighters, as well as showing them off to people they know. Both also claimed that the mere thought of the pictures being taken for private use had caused emotional damage.

The jury held four hours' worth of deliberations into the matter before handing a huge defeat for the taxpayer-funded county.

Kobe Bryant Crash Made California Governor Gavin Newsom Sign a New Law About Privacy

Following the news that Los Angeles County officials took private photos of the crash site, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new invasion of privacy bill in September 2020.

It was called the "Kobe Bryant Act," which made it illegal for first responders to share photos of a dead person at a crime scene or a scene of an accident.

According to CNN, photos taken at such scenes can only be for "Law Enforcement Purposes."

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Kobe Bryant Crash Photos Trial: Jury Finds LA County Must Pay Vanessa Bryant $16 Million - From ABC7