Full Breakdown
$176 Million Verdict in Westlake Village Wrongful-Death Trial
6/4/2026, 1:37:52 PM
The Crash and Verdict
On September 29, 2020, Rebecca Grossman, driving her Mercedes-Benz SUV, struck 11-year-old Mark and 8-year-old Jacob Iskander in a marked crosswalk on Triunfo Canyon Road, Westlake Village. A Van Nuys jury found Grossman and former Dodgers pitcher Scott Erickson negligent, awarding the Iskander family $176 million in compensatory damages and finding the defendants acted with malice, opening a punitive-damages phase. The verdict also held Grossman’s husband, Dr. Peter Grossman, liable for permitting the vehicle’s use.
Legal Background
Rebecca Grossman was convicted on February 23, 2024 of two counts each of second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, and one count of hit-and-run, receiving a 15-year-to-life sentence. The conviction was upheld by the Second District Court of Appeal in March 2024. Scott Erickson faced no criminal charges.
Financial Stakes
The Iskander plaintiffs—Nancy, Karim, and son Zachary—sought $439 million—$57 million for past losses, $222 million for projected future earnings, $100 million for Nancy’s emotional distress, and $60 million for Zachary’s distress. The jury awarded $176 million in compensatory damages; punitive damages remain pending.
Official Statements & Responses
Plaintiff attorney Brian Panish said Erickson lied to investigators and that the defendants’ conduct exceeded ordinary negligence. Erickson’s lawyer Jeff Braun highlighted the absence of expert testimony on impairment. Grossman’s counsel Esther Holm asserted that Grossman was neither racing nor impaired and that the crosswalk’s design, known to the city, contributed to the tragedy.
Criticism & Opposition
Panish called Erickson a “pathological liar” and cited deleted text messages. Holm countered that allegations of racing and impairment were “speculation” and pointed to the 70-foot crosswalk obscured by trees and parked cars as a municipal hazard. The defense also challenged the plaintiffs’ loss calculations as speculative.
Eyewitness Testimony
Nancy Iskander recounted hearing two engines, seeing a white car, and pulling her son Zachary from the road before the impact. She later said, “Part of me is simply dead.”
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources report Grossman’s speed as either 73 mph or 80 mph. Whether a race occurred is disputed; Erickson denies racing while prosecutors claim a speed contest. Grossman’s impairment is contested, with the defense asserting sobriety and the prosecution citing cocktail consumption.
Verbatim Quotes
- “These people, they didn't invest in stocks - they may have some - but they invested in their children,” — Brian Panish, plaintiff’s attorney
- “No expert has testified in this case that Mr. Erickson was impaired,” — Jeff Braun, Erickson’s attorney
- “When you race on our streets, and you drink and drive, you will be held accountable,” — Julie Cohen, family friend
- “I heard the roaring engines in two cars, one black, one white, coming towards us. I thought for a second, 'What’s happening?' They were accelerating toward the crosswalk is what I saw.” — Nancy Iskander, mother
What’s Next: Punitive Damages Phase
The jury’s malice finding requires the court to determine punitive damages, which could raise the total liability for Grossman, Erickson, and Peter Grossman. No further criminal charges are expected for Erickson, and Grossman continues to serve her sentence.
