Jury awards $176M for wrongful deaths of young brothers struck by California socialite’s car
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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. The trial judge will ultimately determine how much each defendant has to pay.
Court resumed 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.”