LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Los Angeles jury on Wednesday ordered California socialite Rebecca Grossman to pay $21 million in punitive damages to the parents of two young brothers who died when her car struck them in a hit-and-run collision in 2020.Former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Scott Erickson must also pay $1.17 million in punitive damages.That is in addition to the $176 million in damages for wrongful death and emotional distress that jurors ordered Grossman and Erickson to pay parents Nancy and Karim Iskander last week, after finding them negligent in the deaths of Mark, 11, and Jacob, 8.“This verdict sends a clear message that everyone must be held accountable when their selfish actions put innocent lives at risk,” Brian Panish, the Iskander family’s attorney, said in a statement Wednesday.Erickson’s attorney, Jeff Braun, said they respected the verdict.
“In the coming days, we will review the verdict with our client and discuss the appropriate path forward,” Braun said in a statement. “Today, however, our focus is on acknowledging the extraordinary loss the Iskander family has endured. We extend our sincere condolences to them and continue to keep them in our thoughts.”
Grossman’s attorney, Esther Holm, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Grossman was sentenced in 2024 to serve 15 years to life in prison after being convicted of second-degree murder, gross vehicular manslaughter and hit-and-run driving in a separate criminal trial. She is a co-founder of the Grossman Burn Foundation and the wife of a prominent burn doctor.
