Jury to weigh punitive damages in crash that killed 2 young brothers

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The civil trial stemming from the deaths of two young brothers killed more than five years ago in Westlake Village is set to continue Thursday, when a jury is expected to decide on additional penalties and punitive damages.

Socialite Rebecca Grossman and former Dodger Scott Erickson were found negligent Wednesday in the deaths of Mark and Jacob Iskander, aged 11 and 8, respectively.

The jury in the civil suit awarded $176 million in damages to the victims' family. The jury also found that Grossman and Erickson acted with malice in the boys' deaths.

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A jury has begun deliberating how much financial compensation, if any, should be awarded to the family of two children struck and killed in Westlake Village.

The $176 million damages penalty also applies to Grossman's husband, Dr. Peter Grossman. He was a defendant in the lawsuit because he owned the car Rebecca Grossman was driving, and jurors found he had given her permission to drive the vehicle.

It was unclear how the damages would be divided among the three defendants.

The plaintiffs in the civil suit were Nancy Iskander and her husband Karim as well as son Zachary.

The lawsuit filed in January 2021 contends that Rebecca Grossman and Erickson had cocktails on Sept. 29, 2020, and the two later engaged in a speed contest along Triunfo Canyon Road until they reached the crosswalk, and the boys were struck at about 80 mph in a 45 mph zone by Grossman.

"When you race on our streets, and you drink and drive, you will be held accountable," family friend Julie Cohen said.

Nancy Iskander, the boys' mother, gave emotional testimony during the trial and spoke about how loving her sons were. The boys' father also testified.

In the criminal trial, Grossman was found guilty Feb. 23, 2024, of two counts each of second-degree murder and vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and one count of hit-and-run driving.

She was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.

Erickson did not face any criminal charges in the case.

City News Service contributed to this report.