Family Members Of Four Killed In Kobe Bryant Crash Sue Helicopter Company

[Omaha Steve]

Source: NPR

By Hannah Hagemann

Almost three months after LA basketball icon Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash, family members of four people who died in the crash are suing to hold the helicopter's owners liable in the deaths.

The two lawsuits, filed electronically on Sunday in Los Angeles Superior Court, allege that Island Express Helicopter, Inc., and its owner Island Express Holding Corp., were negligent and careless, behavior that was a "substantial factor" in the crash.

Plaintiffs John and Alexis Altobelli, whose parents and sister were killed in the Jan. 26 accident, have suffered economic and noneconomic damages as a result of the companies' alleged carelessness, according to the lawsuit.

A nearly identical suit was filed on behalf of Christina Mauser's widower and children. Mauser was a basketball coach with the Mamba Sports Academy.



Firefighters work on the site where a helicopter crashed, killing basketball star Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others died in Calabasas, Calif., in January.
Mark J. Terrill/AP


Read more: https://www.npr.org/2020/04/20/839280883/family-members-of-four-killed-in-kobe-bryant-crash-sue-helicopter-company

[Fullduplexxx]

1. What began as a routine trip from Santa Ana, Calif., to the Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaksqu

What began as a routine trip from Santa Ana, Calif., to the Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks quickly changed; despite heavy fog and inclement weather, pilot Ara Zobayan requested special clearance from flight controllers to continue flying.

The NTSB found Zobayan flew into the clouds and lost control of the helicopter; shortly after that the aircraft crashed into a hillside in Calabassas, killing all nine people on board.

[AtheistCrusader]

2. Not clear what they did wrong.

The pilot was rated, and received clearance for the conditions, correct?
The helicopter functioned correctly, correct?

[spudspud]

3. Probably respondeat superior. /nt

[AtheistCrusader]

4. Ah, that makes sense.

Hence various forms of business insurance, etc. Sometimes shit just happens, and yeah there is a chain of responsibility.