Robb & Robb Handled The Kobe Bryant Helicopter Crash Case

Our law firm was honored to represent Vanessa Bryant, the widow of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, in her lawsuit for the wrongful death of her husband and daughter Gianna in the helicopter crash in Calabasas, California on January 26, 2020. Our law firm successfully resolved the case before trial, with all defendants held fully accountable. The confidential settlement was approved in the United States District Court for the Central District of California in November of 2021.

The helicopter involved in the crash was a Sikorsky S-76B helicopter, registration (tail) number N72EX. The flight originated in low cloud cover and heavy fog conditions from the John Wayne-Orange County Airport in Santa Ana, California at 9:06 a.m. with a destination of the Camarillo Airport in Camarillo, California. The flight’s last ATC transmission occurred at 9:45 a.m. The helicopter was owned, operated, and maintained by defendants Island Express Helicopters Inc. and Island Express Holding Corp., a helicopter tour operation that targeted Los Angeles area celebrities. Other defendants in the case included the pilot Ara Zobayan and OC Helicopters which specialized in VIP helicopter charters.

The lawsuit we filed on behalf of Vanessa Bryant maintained that the defendants caused the crash by operating in a negligent, careless, and reckless manner, due to failure to implement proper and reasonable flight safety rules and policies, failure to supply a safe and airworthy helicopter, and failure to implement proper and reasonable flight safety rules and policies or supervise and train their employees. The Island Express defendants’ Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) operating certificate limited its pilots to flying only under visual flight rules (VFR). The subject helicopter was not licensed or certified to be flown into instrument (non-visual) conditions. The pilot-in-command Ara Zobayan was required to fly only in conditions that he could navigate visually. OC Helicopters owner Richard Webb suggested the route for this subject fatal flight, and told pilot Zobayan that the subject fatal flight was a good flight plan. In May of 2015, pilot Zobayan admitted to and was cited by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of violating the visual flight rules (VFR) minimums by flying into an airspace of reduced visibility due to weather conditions.

The lawsuit sought damages for the Bryant family’s loss of love, affection, care, society, services, comfort, support, companionship, moral support, and assistance. In addition their Complaint for Damages claimed economic damages from loss of earnings and loss of financial support. The lawsuit also requested punitive damages to punish and deter defendants from future wrongdoing.