Vanessa Bryant was awarded $16 million in a lawsuit that alleged county first responders negligently took and shared personal photos of the January 2020 helicopter crash that took the life of Kobe Bryant.

On top of Bryant’s $16 million the jury awarded co-plaintiff Chris Chester $15 million, totaling a $31 million payout from the county of Los Angeles.

Bryant lost her late husband Kobe and Daughter Gianna, while Chester lost his wife and daughter, in a crash that took the lives of 13 total on the way to a basketball tournament in Calabasas, Calif.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s and Fire Department personnel admitted to taking photos of the crash site, but said the photos were not shared and were deleted upon request by superiors.

“Faced with a scene of unimaginable loss, no fewer than eight sheriff’s deputies at the crash site pulled out their personal cell phones and snapped photos of the dead children, parents, and coaches,” the lawsuit stated. “The deputies took these photos for their own personal gratification.”

The verdict came on the unoffical Kobe Bryant day in the city of Los Angeles, celebrated on August 24, or 8/24, his two numbers worn on the Los Angeles Lakers.

Soon after the verdict was announced, Bryant posted an Onstagram photo of herself, her late husband and daughter with the caption reading, “All for you! I love you! Justice for Kobe and Gigi.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/ChqWVZbJ-2q/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

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