A Los Angeles jury has delivered a stunning Rebecca Grossman wrongful death verdict, awarding $176 million to the grieving parents of two young brothers killed when the California socialite’s car struck them in a crosswalk nearly six years ago. The decision marks a major milestone in a tragedy that has wound through both the criminal and civil court systems.

The jury found both Grossman and Scott Erickson, a former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher, negligent in the deaths of 11-year-old Mark Iskander and 8-year-old Jacob Iskander.

The Verdict and What Comes Next

The damages awarded Wednesday covered wrongful death and emotional distress. The trial judge will ultimately decide how much each defendant must pay toward the total.

The legal proceedings are not yet finished. Court resumed Friday as jurors turned to a remaining question: whether to award punitive damages to the boys’ parents, Nancy and Karim Iskander. That decision could add another layer to the financial reckoning facing the defendants.

A Familiar Name in a Long Saga

This civil judgment follows a separate criminal case that already brought serious consequences for Grossman. In 2024, she was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison after being convicted of second-degree murder, gross vehicular manslaughter, and hit-and-run driving.

Grossman is a co-founder of the Grossman Burn Foundation and the wife of a prominent burn doctor — details that helped draw widespread public attention to the case from the start.

The boys’ parents pursued civil lawsuits against both Grossman and Erickson, who had been driving ahead of her at the time of the crash. That civil trial began in April.

The Night of the Crash

The deadly collision occurred on the evening of September 29, 2020, in Westlake Village, a city on the western edge of Los Angeles County. What began as an ordinary evening walk ended in unimaginable loss.

Brian Panish, the Iskander family’s attorney, laid out a damning account of the events. He argued that both Grossman and Erickson had been driving recklessly after drinking margaritas together. At the time, the two were dating, as Grossman and her husband were separated.

Panish presented stark figures about the moment of impact:

• Grossman was driving 73 mph when her car struck the boys
• The crash happened in a crosswalk
• The posted speed limit on that road was just 45 mph

He further argued that Grossman had been following Erickson, who was also speeding and narrowly missed the family before her vehicle hit the children.

In his closing argument Wednesday, Panish drove home the senselessness of the loss, calling it a totally preventable collision. He told jurors that the boys had simply gone out for a walk and never came home.

The Defense Arguments

Both defendants pushed back against the allegations through their attorneys.

Grossman’s attorney, Esther Holm, denied that her client had been intoxicated. Instead, Holm argued that Grossman was distracted at the critical moment, claiming she had seen the boys’ mother dive out of the way of Erickson’s vehicle. According to Holm, Grossman was not driving impaired and never saw the children because her attention had been diverted by Ms. Iskander.

Erickson’s attorney, Jeff Braun, acknowledged the boys’ deaths as a tragedy but drew a clear line regarding his client’s role. He emphasized that the vehicle Erickson was driving made no contact with the children.

A Tragedy Far From Over

The $176 million award represents a significant measure of accountability for a family that has endured nearly six years of grief and legal battles. Yet with the question of punitive damages still before the jury and the judge yet to apportion the financial responsibility between the two defendants, the final chapter of this case has not been written.

For Nancy and Karim Iskander, no verdict can undo the loss of their two sons on what should have been an ordinary evening walk. But the jury’s decision affirms what their attorney argued throughout: that the deaths of Mark and Jacob Iskander were entirely preventable.