A Los Angeles jury awards damages in a civil case arising from the 2020 hit-and-run deaths of two young brothers in Westlake Village. The jury orders California socialite Rebecca Grossman to pay about $21 million in punitive damages to the boys’ parents. Multiple outlets report that Grossman is also liable for compensatory damages, bringing the total civil award to about $176 million for the family in one reported phase. Reporting further states that Grossman’s then-lover, former Dodgers pitcher Scott Erickson, is ordered to pay an additional $1.17 million in punitive damages, for a combined punitive total of about $22 million and a reported overall amount near $199 million when the parties’ compensatory figures are included.
Courthouse News reports that the civil trial follows Grossman’s murder conviction related to the crash. The articles describe the incident as involving Grossman driving during a high-speed collision with the brothers in a crosswalk, with the hit-and-run drawing significant criminal attention. The punitive awards are intended to punish and deter, as determined by the jury in the civil proceedings.
