Unraveling Insurance Issues At Play In The Kobe Bryant Crash

On the morning of Jan. 26, 2020, basketball legend Kobe Bryant and eight other individuals, including his 13-year-old daughter, were tragically killed in a helicopter crash. With the investigation into the cause of the crash underway, thoughts turn to how this incident was insured. Would all the victims have life insurance coverage? Could the helicopter operating company or the helicopter manufacturer be liable in some way? “Several insurance coverages might be triggered by this tragic incident,” says a top commercial property & casualty insurer. “First and foremost, there was bodily injury to the passengers and pilot. The manufacturer of the aircraft, as well as the owner and potentially the operator (if not the same as the owner), could be found liable for the deaths of the people on board, depending on the NTSB’s [National Transportation Safety Board] findings as to what caused the crash.