LA agrees to pay Kobe Bryant widow almost $29m

kingstonlake wrote:

NigelUno wrote:

Awarded?  It was a settlement.  

Maybe one family was OK settling for an amount and accepted it to move on (after already getting $15 million).

Maybe one family wasn't OK with that amount, and ended up settling for more.

It happens in civil cases.  People can settle for different amounts.  That doesn't make it unfair.

Saying it was completely up to LA County (and they decided whose family is worth more) is disingenuous.  

You’re assuming both parties were treated the same by LA county in the settlement process? Star power played no role? That’s kinda disingenuous.

kingstonlake wrote:

NigelUno wrote:

What I do know is this:

1.  Chester settled in September 2022 for $4.95 million (right after a federal jury awarded him $15 million in August 2022).
2.  Kobe's wife just settled (after she was also awarded $15 million in August).
3.  The settlement with Kobe's wife further resolves all outstanding issues related to pending legal claims in state court, future claims by the Bryant children, and other costs, with each party responsible for its respective attorneys’ fees.

So, let's go back to something you kinda skipped over...it's possible Chester was OK settling in September and Kobe's wife was not (for whatever reasons).

But, if you want to run with the idea that LA County decided ahead of time how to allocate money (and did so at separate times)...OK.  

I skipped it because you admittedly have no clue whether it’s true.

kingstonlake wrote:

NigelUno wrote:

Oh.  OK.

So, they forced Chester to settle in September (separate from Kobe's wife).

Good one.

I think we're done here.  You can stay in FantasyLand.

Ahhh, another one of those “it’s possible”

kingstonlake wrote:

NigelUno wrote:

Chester settled in September.  
.  

It only took you 24 hours to post something factual vs something you admittedly know isn’t. We’re making progress here.

kingstonlake wrote:

NigelUno wrote:

Let me know when you post something factual instead of just your narrative.

NigelUno wrote:
Just wanted to take some shots at Vanessa Bryant, eh?

Interesting.  

GRR Spartan wrote:Kingston, nobody “forces” an injured party or survivors to settle.  I personally know family members of two family who were involved in wrongful death/negligence settlements and know about a third because their son died in the same accident.

First was a local woman who went to work at a automotive parts plant in Ionia County.  The plant has had multiple safety violations going back over a decade. She died when a forklift moving stacked metal boxes full of parts load tipped and the top box fell off killing her.  
Lots of violations including non-certified driver, boxes were overloaded and were stacked 3 high when 2 was the max.  

The company and insurance lawyers descended on her family and convinced the husband to sign off on a settlement that included an NDA provision and he couldn’t  sue for additional monies.

The 2nd incident was tale of two families.  I know one of the victims parents.  The two 16 year olds took summer jobs at a swine farm.  They were told to clear a clogged drain in the pit where the animal feces and urine gets sent from the pens.  A circuit blew killing the exhaust fans and both boys died after being overcome with gas.

Lawyers from the farmer and his insurance company contacted both families before their funerals.  About a month later one boy’s family settled for an undisclosed sum (NDA).  

However the other victim’s family didn’t like the strong arm tactics (“This is our our offer and you’ll get less and who knows when since things take time in the court system”) used by the farmer’s representatives.

The family that went to court and sued got nearly 5 times as much (between $3M-$4M) after attorney fees because their were multiple violations including not training employees, not having safety equipment (like respirator masks)  to be used, underage employees and not having a licensed electrician install the ventilation system or panel that controlled the fans.

It’s probable the Chester Family got their $15M and decided that they’d accept the reduced amount based on what his future earnings would be etc.

Kobe Bryant’s family settled for the equivalent of his last year’s NBA salary adjusted for inflation.  Bryant died at 41 and based on the business and endorsement deals that were already in place after he retired he would have earned even more had he not been killed.  

Look how much other Laker stars like Magic Johnson and Shaquille O’Neal have made after they retired from he NBA.  O’Neal makes more than double as he did as a player with his current endorsements,

kingstonlake wrote:GRR I’m not arguing what each victims salary was. I understand the difference. But the pictures taken didn’t cause their deaths. We’re talking about the emotional damage inflicted. It is my feeling (yes it’s not based on fact which I thought was made clear from the start) that LA county put a higher value on the emotional damage inflicted to the Bryant’s. There’s no way the starting point of settlement was an equal amount of money. I’m just tired of the celebrity status that actors, athletes, judges, and politicians are attaining vs regular folk. The federal case appears to be an equal dispersal probably based on law. The second settlement is a “negotiation”. And some people unfortunately carry more “weight” because the system values them more. That’s what I can’t stand.