CVN screenshot of plaintiff attorney Brian Panish delivering his closing argument
Van Nuys, CA - A California state court jury awarded $176 million on Wednesday to the family of two young brothers who were struck and killed by a wealthy socialite accused of racing in her SUV with former MLB pitcher Scott Erickson after an evening of drinks, and the full trial - including an upcoming punitive damages phase - is being webcast gavel-to-gavel via Courtroom View Network.
Wednesday’s verdict follows a lengthy trial that initially began in late April. Plaintiffs Nancy and Karim Iskander accuse Erickson and Grossman Burn Foundation co-founder Rebecca Grossman of racing each other while returning from drinks in 2020. Grossman’s vehicle struck the Iskanders' two children as they crossed the street in a crosswalk, leading to her conviction for second-degree murder and vehicular manslaughter.
The Iskander’s legal team, led by attorney Brian Panish of Panish Shea Ravipudi LLP, argued at trial that in additional to compensatory damages, Erickson and Grossman should be liable for punitive damages, a position affirmed by the Los Angeles County jury that tees up a second phase of the trial starting Thursday which could result in millions of dollars in additional damages.
The full trial is being webcast gavel-to-gavel live and on-demand by CVN. Sign up for a CVN account and get instant unlimited on-demand access to the first phase of the trial along with live and on-demand access to the punitive phase, in addition to hundreds more recorded trials featuring many of the country’s top civil trial attorneys and a wide range of practice areas.
During the trial jurors heard testimony that Erickson’s SUV was ahead of Grossman’s vehicle while they raced just before Grossman struck the two children, prompting the panel to determine Grossman and Erickson “acted in concert with each other in the course of their activities leading to the fatal collision.”
Defense attorneys in the case largely sought to assign blame to the other defendant.
Defense attorney Deborah Tropp, representing Erickson, urged the jury to find Grossman alone liable for the crash, acknowledging her client increased his speed as he neared the crosswalk but suggesting it was in an attempt to avoid the Iskander family.
Grossman’s attorney, Esther Holm, told the jury her client was not racing Erickson, arguing she didn’t see the children before her car struck them because she was distracted by the boys’ mother attempting to evade Erickson’s vehicle.
The trial is taking place before Judge Huey Cotton, and CVN’s gavel-to-gavel coverage will continue for the duration of the proceedings.
E-mail David Siegel at dsiegel@cvn.com
