A jury in Los Angeles has ordered socialite Rebecca Grossman and former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Scott Erickson to pay nearly $200 million in damages to the family of two young brothers killed in a 2020 crash. The verdict, reached on Wednesday, concludes a nine-week civil trial that followed Grossman's 2024 criminal conviction for second-degree murder.
The jury awarded $176 million in compensatory damages last week and added $21 million in punitive damages from Grossman and $1.17 million from Erickson on Wednesday. The tragic incident occurred on September 29, 2020, in Westlake Village, when Grossman and Erickson were racing their SUVs through a crosswalk.
The victims, Mark Iskander, 11, and Jacob Iskander, 8, were crossing the street with their mother and younger brother. Witnesses testified that both vehicles were speeding, with Grossman's Mercedes traveling at 73 mph when she struck the boys.
Erickson, driving a Mercedes just ahead, testified that he narrowly avoided hitting them. The Iskander family, including parents Nancy and Karim Iskander and surviving son Zachary, sought damages for wrongful death and emotional distress.
During the punitive damages phase, attorney Brian Panish argued that the couple's conduct was "reprehensible" and required punishment to deter similar behavior. He noted that Grossman had been drinking and had a blood alcohol level of 0.08, the legal limit, hours after the crash.
Erickson testified that he earned over $46 million during his MLB career but now has only $9,000 in his bank account due to bad investments, divorce, and taxes. He expressed remorse, saying, "I feel terrible about what happened." The California Supreme Court also rejected Grossman's petition to review her criminal conviction on Wednesday.
Grossman is currently serving 15 years to life in prison for second-degree murder, gross vehicular manslaughter, and hit-and-run driving. The civil verdict ensures the Iskander family will receive substantial compensation for their loss, though attorney Panish emphasized that no amount of money can bring Mark and Jacob back.