A Los Angeles County jury has awarded $176m (£136m) to the family of two young brothers killed by socialite Rebecca Grossman in a high-speed crash in 2020. The civil trial found Grossman and former MLB player Scott Erickson negligent in the deaths of 11-year-old Mark Iskander and his eight-year-old brother Jacob.
The boys were crossing the street in Westlake Village with a skateboard and inline skates when Grossman struck them with her car. Witnesses testified that Grossman and Erickson had been drinking at a local restaurant before leaving in separate vehicles, and attorneys for the family argued they were street racing.
Expert witnesses said Erickson avoided hitting the family as they crossed in a marked crosswalk, while Grossman’s car hit the boys at approximately 73mph. The impact threw Mark more than 250ft and left grille marks on his body; Jacob was found across the road.
Grossman, 62, is currently serving a 15-years-to-life sentence after being convicted of second-degree murder in a separate criminal case in 2024. The civil jury also determined both defendants acted with malice, allowing for a second phase to consider punitive damages.
The jury awarded $59m for the loss of Mark, $48m for Jacob, $35m to their mother Nancy for emotional distress, and $34m to surviving brother Zachary for emotional suffering. Defence attorneys argued there was no evidence of racing or impairment, and cited visibility issues at the crossing.
