Overview
- A Los Angeles Superior Court jury on Wednesday awarded the Iskander family $176 million for the wrongful deaths and emotional distress of 11-year-old Mark and 8-year-old Jacob Iskander.
- Jurors found Rebecca Grossman and former MLB pitcher Scott Erickson negligent and determined both acted with malice, a finding that opened the punitive-damages phase of the trial.
- Grossman is already serving a 15-years-to-life sentence after a 2024 criminal conviction for the boys' deaths while Erickson was not criminally charged but was held civilly liable.
- Trial evidence presented by plaintiffs included testimony and expert analysis that the defendants drank before driving, that Grossman's SUV was traveling well above the 45 mph limit when it struck the boys, and that Erickson admitted to lying to police and deleting messages after the crash.
- Plaintiffs' lawyers are now probing the defendants' finances for the punitive phase and the family could still seek far more than the compensatory award if jurors decide on substantial punitive damages.