@meghannmcuniff: An attorney for the parents of two boys killed by an impaired and speeding SUV driver in California suggested jurors in their wrongful death trial award $439 million in compensatory damages. Brian Panish said in his closing argument on Monday (June 1) that defense attorneys will say "it's too much money," but "it's so much of loss." "Imagine a mother seeing her two kids ... killed in the aftermath when she's out for a walk. What worse could happen to someone in our society, and in our society today, we put value —" Panish said as Judge Huey Cotton overruled objections for Rebecca Grossman's and Scott Erickson's attorneys. "They've been trying to stop me the whole trial, but I'm going to get there, because we're bringing you the truth and they're not," Panish said. "And they don't want the truth because the truth hurts and the truth hurts Mr. Erickson because he knows he's a liar and a perjurer and committed criminal acts of this case as did Mrs. Grossman." Panish said the attorneys' "job is to defend their client and that's what they'll do and try to stop me everywhere I can, but my job is to represent my clients the best way I can." Panish represents Nancy and Karim Iskander, whose sons Mark and Jacob died on Sept. 29, 2020, after Grossman struck them while impaired and speeding in her SUV in Westlake Village. Witnesses said she was racing another motorist, who was Erickson, her boyfriend and a retired Major League Baseball pitcher.Grossman is serving 15 years to life in prison; prosecutors dismissed a misdemeanor reckless driving charge against Erickson after he filmed a public service announcement about safe driving. Panish told the jury on Monday that "asking for money for losses" is the "hardest part for me.""I was tough on Erickson. Okay? I admit that," Panish said. "I know one speed: I'm going for the truth, and if they're not going to give it to me, I'm going to get it. Okay? And if I was little rough on him, that's how I am. Okay? Because my job is to take care of this family, to convey to you how enormous these losses are, and that's a hard job for a lawyer." He said he's been "living in this case for almost six years." "You're going to be the one that's going to determine what happens, so my job is going to be done, and I've done as best as I can, and I've fought for my clients every day since this, since I've been a lawyer on this case. So, how do we value things in our society? Because what you're valuing here is not what someone's death is worth, you're valuing what is the loss of the relationship with the parents of all the time and the investments that they made," Panish said. You can watch his entire closing argument on my YouTube channel, along with the arguments from Grossman's lawyer Esther Holm and Erickson's lawyer Jeff Braun. #law #crime #court #driving

Meghann Cuniff

Open In TikTok:

Region: US

Tuesday 02 June 2026 19:41:15 GMT