Kobe Bryant's pilot's family wants to move wrongful death lawsuit out of LA: Report

The family of Ara Zobayan - the pilot who died in the helicopter crash along with NBA legend Kobe Bryant and seven others - is reportedly looking to move Vanessa Bryant's lawsuit of wrongful death out of Los Angeles. The Vanessa Bryant lawsuit was filed in LA County after the unfortunate events in January saw her lose her husband and daughter Gianna. According to TMZ Sports, The Kobe Bryant pilot's (Ara Zobayan) family is looking to move the case out of Los Angeles as they feel the overwhelming popularity of the Lakers legend in the city could result in a biased jury pool.

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Kobe Bryant pilot's family looking to move Vanessa Bryant lawsuit out of LA

TMZ procured the court documents which detail the family's argument to move the case out of LA. Per the report, the family argued that the trial would begin with "two strikes" against the Kobe Bryant pilot due to the "extreme level of popularity of the plaintiff with the jury pool." Zobayan's family is looking to move the Vanessa Bryant lawsuit to Orange County in California. Kobe Bryant's iconic status in LA could potentially harm Zobayan's chances of getting a fair trial, according to the court documents.

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The Vanessa Bryant lawsuit claims that the pilot, along with the helicopter company, Island Express Helicopters, is responsible for the death of Kobe and Gianna Bryant. Per reports, Vanessa Bryant is seeking hundreds of millions in damages from the lawsuit. Berge Zobayan, the brother of the Kobe Bryant pilot, claimed the passengers on the helicopter were responsible for the crash as they acted irresponsibly. Berge Zobayan's attorney further claimed that they would try to get the Vanessa Bryant lawsuit dismissed by the judge. 

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The latest development in the death of Bryant is a report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The report states Ara Zobayan was disoriented in the foggy weather which led to the crash. According to NTSB, Zobayan reached out to the air traffic controllers minutes before the crash and reported that he would be climbing up to 4,000 feet in order to get above the clouds. However, the flight trajectory revealed Ara Zobayan was instead rapidly descending before crashing against the hills near Calabasas, California. The autopsy report released by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner stated that the Kobe Bryant pilot tested negative for drugs and alcohol. 

Also Read | Kobe Bryant pilot misperceived' Flight Trajectory, Thought He Was Climbing Before Clash

(Image Credits: AP)