Published 16:35 IST, May 12th 2020
Kobe Bryant, Gianna accused of negligence by pilot Ara Zobayan's brother
Kobe Bryant helicopter crash: Late Lakers legend and his daughter Gianna have been accused of negligence by pilot Ara Zobayan's brother.
- SportFit
- 3 min read
The Kobe Bryant helicopter crash tragedy took place on January 26, 2020, took place over Calabasas. The late Lakers legend was accompanied by his 13-year old daughter Gianna Bryant along with seven other passengers in the helicopter being operated by pilot Ara Zobayan. There were no survivors from the tragic Kobe Bryant helicopter crash as all aboard lost their lives, including pilot Ara Zobayan. Post the incident, Vanessa Bryant filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the helicopter company citing negligence as the main cause of concern. However, recent developments have seen Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna being accused of negligence by Zobayan's brother.
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Kobe Bryant, Gianna accused of negligence by pilot Ara Zobayan's brother
In response to the lawsuit filed by Vanessa Bryant against the helicopter company and Ara Zobayan, his brother Berge Zobayan filed a seven-page document and alleged that "any injuries or damages to plaintiffs and/or their decedent was directly caused in full or in part by the negligence or fault of plaintiffs and/or their decedent." The seven-page document further adds that “This negligence was a substantial factor in causing their purported damages, for which this answering defendant bears no responsibility."
The passengers in the helicopter were on the way to a youth basketball tournament at Kobe Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks. Officials reports stat that the helicopter, Island Express, hit a hill in Calabasas, Los Angeles at around 9:45 AM. Locals were quoted as saying that they heard a loud boom and saw the fire that erupted amid foggy conditions. Gianna Bryant was due to play a game along with two teammates that lost their lives in the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash incident - Payton Chester (13) and Alyssa Altobelli (14). Relatives of the Altobellis and Mauser have also filed wrongful death lawsuits against the same company which Ara Zobayan worked for and are pending trials in a Los Angeles court.
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Updated 16:35 IST, May 12th 2020