Vanessa Bryant's wrongful death lawsuit against the owner of Kobe Bryant's doomed helicopter has been moved to federal court against her wishes, paperwork obtained by the NewYork Daily News reveals.
The NBA superstar's widow filed her original wrongful death complaint against Island Express Helicopters in Los Angeles County Superior Court in February, but the company later filed a cross-complaint against two federal air traffic controllers, triggering the venue change.
Vanessa's lawyers unsuccessfully tried to fight the removal, saying the defendants only sued the air traffic controllers the way they did as part of a "transparent and untenable attempt to forum-shop their way into federal court."
"Defendants unlawfully and improperly seek to deprive Mrs. Bryant of her lawful choice of forum in California state court," the lawyers said in a September filing.
Kobe Bryant died Jan. 26 at the age of 41 when the helicopter he was riding in along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna crashed into a hillside in Calabasas, California, amid dense fog. Six other passengers and the pilot also died in the wreckage.
Vanessa claims Island Express is liable for her husband and daughter's deaths because the helicopter was only licensed to fly in conditions that could be navigated visually.
Island Express sued the two air traffic controllers in August saying they improperly denied or failed to provide "flight following" radar communications to the 1991 Sikorsky S76B helicopter.
Federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction of civil actions involving federal employees.
Wrongful death defendants often seek removal to federal courts for reasons including federal limits on discovery and the belief that federal court juries tend to include fewer urban panelists likely to return larger awards.
Vanessa's lead lawyer on the case, Gary C. Robb, declined to comment when reached by the Daily News on Tuesday.
Robb, a top aviation case lawyer based in Missouri, filed an application in Los Angeles federal court Monday asking to join the case.
