Vanessa Bryant, the widow of NBA star Kobe Bryant, filed a wrongful-death lawsuit on Monday against the helicopter operator company that crashed into a California hillside last month, killing her husband, daughter Gianna Bryant, and 7others.
The lawsuit was filed alongside thousands of fans gathering at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, to remember Kobe and Gianna.
In the Los Angeles Superior Court, Vanessa lodged the 27-count complaint against Island Express Helicopters and Island Express Holding Corp. Pilot Ara Zobayan, who died in the crash, was "negligent" according to her lawyers.
They alleged that the operator of the Sikorsky S-76B helicopter involved in the accident is liable for the reckless actions of Zobayan. Zobayan was claimed to be negligent because he failed to properly monitor the weather before takeoff and decided to fly through foggy conditions in low visibility rather than end the flight.
The lawsuit accuses Island Express of taking unnecessary risks given the circumstances.
A copy of the lawsuit indicated, "Defendant Island Express Helicopters' breach of its duty and negligence caused the injuries and damages complained of herein and Plaintiffs' deceased, Kobe Bryant, was killed as a direct result of the negligent conduct of Zobayan for which Defendant Island Express Helicopters is vicariously liable in all respects."
The suit alleged, "Defendant Island Express Helicopters authorized and/or permitted a flight with full knowledge that the subject helicopter was flying to into unsafe weather conditions."
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But according to a National Transportation Safety Board report, Zobayan, an experienced pilot and flight instructor, had received special clearance to fly in difficult conditions shortly before takeoff.
The helicopter was traveling at 180 miles per hour in the moments before the crash, the lawsuit said. Claims include failure to properly research and respond to weather conditions.
The lawsuit has been filed to the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Spokesperson Mary Hearn said it has not been processed.
Names identified were Island Express Helicopters Inc. and Zobayan's legal representative, listed only as "Doe 1" until a name can be determined.
The wrongful death lawsuit declares that Zobayan was negligent in eight different ways. This includes failing to properly assess the weather, flying into conditions he wasn't cleared for and failing to control the helicopter.
The employment relationship between Zobayan and Island Express is crucial for the litigation because Vanessa asserts that Island Express is vicariously liable for Zobayan's alleged negligence.
Vicarious liability means finding that an employer is negligent for the wrongful acts of an employee.
The complaint is 27 pages long and "also names Zobayan's estate as a defendant, seeks compensatory and punitive damages. The amount isn't specified," according to the Los Angeles Times.
The National Transportation Safety Board ruled out engine failure as a cause of the crash, while federal investigators believe the pilot of the helicopter was struggling with fog shortly before the crash.
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