Relative Of Kobe Bryant’s Pilot Responds To Vanessa’s Lawsuit, Blames Passengers For Fatal Accident

A relative of the pilot who also died during the plane crash with Kobe Bryant and his daughter responded to his wife Vanessa Bryant’s wrongful death lawsuit.

Berge Zobayan, the pilot’s relative, responded to Vanessa’s wrongful death lawsuit that was filed in February. People obtained a copy of the document he filed and he argued and blamed the passengers for the fatal accident.

“Any injuries or damages to plaintiffs and/or their decedent were directly caused in full or in part by the negligence or fault of plaintiffs and/or their decedent, including their knowing and voluntary encounter with the risks involved, and that this negligence was a substantial factor in causing their purported damages, for which this answering defendant bears no responsibility,” his response read.

According to Los Angeles-based trial lawyer Tom Lallas, the response is a standard part of trial preparation for the case and it was filed in “an abundance of caution” by the lawyers representing Zobayan.

“In order to preserve all of your defenses for trial, you have to state them as affirmative defenses at the time you file an answer,” Lallas explained.

Usually, the first affirmative defense the lawyers make is failure to state a claim. However, it doesn’t mean that the first amended complaint failed to state a claim, the lawyers just want to preserve that affirmative defense.

He added that Zobayan’s legal team is “trying to preserve the right to attribute fault, blame or responsibility to someone else, and that’s just classic insurance defense 101 behavior.”

The passengers of the helicopter included Kobe, 41, and Gianna, 13, as well as John Altobelli, 56, Keri Altobelli, 46, Alyssa Altobelli, 14, Sarah Chester, 45, Payton Chester, 13, and Christina Mauser, 38.

Bryant filed for wrongful death lawsuit against the helicopter company Island Express Helicopters for failing to cite that the pilot, Ara Zobayan, had previously violated the FAA by flying into an area of reduced visibility from weather conditions.

Bryant also insisted that the pilot failed to assess the weather and failed to properly and safely operate the helicopter resulting in a crash.

Bryant and her daughters seek genera, economic and punitive damages.

In April, Jimmy Kimmel, who hosted Kobe’s funeral service shared the most difficult thing for him during the ceremony. According to the TV personality, seeing Bryant, her kids, and Kobe’s surviving parents was very painful because he knew the pain was a “million times worse for them.”

Meanwhile, Vanessa gave a speeach for her late husband and daughter Gianna during the funeral. She called Kobe her “soulmate” and their daughter her “baby girl.”