06/05/26 11:37:00
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06/05 11:35 CDT Jury awards $176M for wrongful deaths of young brothers struck
by California socialite's car
Jury awards $176M for wrongful deaths of young brothers struck by California
socialite's car
LOS ANGELES (AP) --- A Los Angeles jury has awarded $176 million to the parents
of two young brothers killed in a hit-and-run collision when a California
socialite's car struck them in a crosswalk nearly six years ago.
The jury found both Rebecca Grossman and Scott Erickson, a former Los Angeles
Dodgers pitcher, negligent in the deaths of 11-year-old Mark Iskander and
8-year-old Jacob Iskander. The damages awarded Wednesday were for wrongful
death and emotional distress.
Court was scheduled to resume Friday as jurors must still decide whether to
award punitive damages to the boys' parents, Nancy and Karim Iskander.
Grossman was sentenced in 2024 to serve 15 years to life in prison after being
convicted of second-degree murder, gross vehicular manslaughter and hit-and-run
driving in a separate criminal trial. She is a co-founder of the Grossman Burn
Foundation and the wife of a prominent burn doctor.
The boys' parents also filed lawsuits in civil court against both Grossman and
Erickson, who was driving ahead of her when the Iskander brothers were killed.
That trial began in April.
The deadly crash occurred on the evening of Sept. 29, 2020, in Westlake
Village, a city on the western edge of Los Angeles County.
Brian Panish, the Iskander family's attorney, argued that Grossman and Erickson
were both driving recklessly after drinking margaritas together. The two were
dating at a time when Grossman and her husband were separated.
Panish said Grossman was driving 73 mph (117 kph) when her car struck the boys
in a crosswalk on a road where the posted speed limit was 45 mph (72 kph).
He said Grossman was following Erickson, who was also speeding and narrowly
missed the family.
"This was a totally preventable collision," Panish told the jury in closing
arguments Wednesday. "They went out for a walk and they never came home."
Grossman's attorney, Esther Holm, denied that her client was intoxicated. She
said Grossman was distracted when she saw the boys' mother dive out of the way
of Erickson's vehicle.
"Ms. Grossman was not driving impaired," Holm told the jury. "She did not see
the children, as her attention was diverted by Ms. Iskander."
Erickson's attorney, Jeff Braun, called the boys' deaths a tragedy but
emphasized that the vehicle he was driving "made no contact with the children."
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