A Los Angeles County jury has found socialite Rebecca Grossman and former MLB pitcher Scott Erickson negligent in the deaths of two young brothers, awarding £176m ($176m) to the victims' family. The civil verdict, reached on Wednesday after an eight-week trial, holds both defendants accountable for the September 2020 crash that killed 11-year-old Mark Iskander and his eight-year-old brother Jacob.
The boys were crossing a 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, with the Iskander family's attorneys arguing they were street racing. Expert witnesses stated Erickson avoided hitting the family in a marked crosswalk, while Grossman's car struck the boys at approximately 73mph.
Grossman, 62, is currently serving a 15-years-to-life sentence for second-degree murder in a related criminal case. The civil jury also found both defendants acted with malice, allowing for a second phase to consider punitive damages. The award includes £59m for the loss of Mark, £48m for Jacob, £35m for emotional distress to mother Nancy Iskander, and £34m for emotional suffering to surviving brother Zachary.
Defence attorneys challenged the allegations, arguing no evidence of racing or impairment, and citing visibility issues due to trees and other cars obstructing the pedestrian crossing sign. Grossman's attorney, Esther Holm, noted the city had been previously warned about the crossing's dangers. The jury's verdict, however, rejected these arguments, emphasising the defendants' negligence.
