A jury has awarded $176 million to the families of two boys who were tragically killed by Los Angeles socialite Rebecca Grossman. Both she and her former partner, ex-baseball player Scott Erickson, were deemed responsible for their deaths.
This decision came after a jury found Grossman and Erickson negligent in the events that led to the fatal incident involving 11-year-old Mark and 8-year-old Jacob Iskander. The award was substantial, but Grossman may also face additional punitive damages, the amount of which will be determined in a hearing scheduled for Thursday.
In a previous ruling, Grossman was convicted of murder for her actions during a high-speed chase involving Erickson, receiving a prison sentence of 15 years to life in 2024.
The accident took place in 2020 as Grossman’s SUV hit the boys in a marked crosswalk. In March, the California Court of Appeals denied Grossman’s final attempt to overturn her conviction, confirming that she would serve her time without the possibility of early release.
Scott Erickson, who was nearby during the incident, raised questions about the circumstances leading to the boys’ deaths. Although he was driving another vehicle at the time, he was not charged with any offenses. However, he finally addressed the situation last month during a wrongful death trial he participated in, stating he had seen the boys moments before the incident and had accelerated to pass through the intersection.
On the evening of September 29, 2020, the boys were crossing Triunfo Canyon Road with their mother when a witness noticed a car speeding toward them. Erickson was driving a black SUV that reached the crosswalk first, followed by Grossman’s white Mercedes, which allegedly struck and killed the children. At the time of the accident, Grossman was reportedly driving 113 mph in a 45 mph zone.
Nancy Iskander, the mother, recounted the harrowing experience of jumping to safety with her youngest son while witnessing Grossman’s car speed past where her other sons stood.
Text exchanges between Grossman and Erickson in the aftermath of the incident revealed the emotional turmoil they were experiencing as prosecutors investigated the details of that tragic night, where the boys suffered devastating injuries.
