Judge Denies L.A. County's Request For Vanessa Bryant To Undergo A Psych Evaluation To Prove Emotional Distress In Helicopter Crash Photos Suit: Report
Vanessa Bryant won't have to undergo psychiatric evaluation to prove the leaked photos of the January helicopter crash that killed her husband and child caused emotional distress in her ongoing lawsuit against Los Angeles County, according to a report.
On Monday, November 1, a judge denied the county's request that the widow, 49, undergo an independent medical evaluation, noting any such evaluation would be "untimely," according to the legal document, obtained by OK!.
Vanessa is suing the cops who allegedly took photos of the crash site — where Kobe Bryant and 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant lost their lives — for "invasion of privacy and negligence."
The defendants filed the request of Vanessa and other crash victims' family members' psychiatric exams on October 15. In the court filing, per People, the county argued the evaluations "are not only relevant, but necessary for the County to mount its defense to these claims and to evaluate the existence, extent and nature of Plaintiffs' alleged emotional injuries."
“Plaintiffs cannot claim that they are suffering from ongoing depression, anxiety, and severe emotional distress and then balk at having to support their claims," the documents read.
The defendants also insisted, per the reported documents, the victims' family members "have undoubtedly suffered severe distress and trauma from the crash and resulting loss of their loved ones," but that "was not caused by Defendants or any accident site photos that were never publicly disseminated."
Following the county's filing, Vanessa's attorney slammed the defendants, advising them to find a "less intrusive" way to prove their point than to have Vanessa and other grieving family members take an "involuntary eight-hour psychiatric examination."
Her attorney declared it does not take a psych evaluation "for a jury to assess the nature and extent of the emotional distress caused by Defendants' misconduct."
Vanessa filed a legal complaint last year against Los Angeles County, the sheriff's office and fire department, insisting authorities "publicly disseminated photos from the helicopter crash site" after she personally requested "that the area be designated a no-fly zone and protected from photographers."
Last month, Vanessa reportedly detailed how she experienced "emotional distress" from the defendants' actions at the crash site.
"The impact of the helicopter crash was so damaging, I just don't understand how someone can have no regard for life and compassion, and, instead, choose to take that opportunity to photograph lifeless and helpless individuals for their own sick amusement," she reportedly said during her pretrial disposition.
While emphasizing her desire for accountability, Vanessa concluded: "My life will never be the same without my husband and daughter." The late NBA icon and his former wife also shared daughters Natalia, 18, Bianka, 4, and Capri, 2.
This was Vanessa's second win within the past few days. On October 27, the judge granted her motion to compel Sheriff Alex Villanueva and Fire Chief Daryl Osby to give pretrial deposition testimony regarding the troubling photos.
The trial is reportedly set to begin February 2022.
