When the news broke that Kobe Bryant had been killed in a deadly helicopter accident along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other people, fans were heartbroken. One month after the crash, Kobe’s widow Vanessa has filed a wrongful death suit against the company who operated the helicopter, claiming that the fatal accident was due to negligence from its pilot.
Filed in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, the complaint seeks damages from Island Express Helicopters and Island Express Holding Corp. The suit claims that hired pilot Ara Zobayan was “negligent” and failed “to use ordinary care in piloting the subject aircraft.”
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An investigation into the accident revealed that Zobayan, who also perished in the crash, had been trying to fly over a dense, visibility-impairing cloud layer when the helicopter suddenly dropped over a thousand feet into the Los Angeles hillside.
“Defendant Island Express Helicopters’ breach of its duty and negligence caused the injuries and damages complained of herein and Plaintiffs’ deceased, Kobe Bryant, was killed as a direct result of the negligent conduct of Zobayan for which Defendant Island Express Helicopters is vicariously liable in all respects,” the suit claims.
It includes 27 counts and seeks general damages, economic damages, punitive damages, and more.
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