Case Background
On September 29, 2020, at approximately 7:10 p.m., Nancy and Karim Iskander walked with their children, Mark, Jacob, and Zachary. The family crossed Triunfo Canyon Road at Saddle Mountain Drive inside a marked crosswalk. They held the lawful right-of-way, which required all oncoming vehicles to yield. Rebecca June Grossman drove a 2018 Mercedes GLE, a vehicle registered to her husband, Peter Grossman. Grossman traveled on Triunfo Canyon Road toward the crosswalk at a speed of about 70 mph in a 45 mph zone. She raced her boyfriend, Scott Erickson, who drove a separate Mercedes Benz. Grossman failed to yield, ignored the family’s right-of-way, and struck 11-year-old Mark and 8-year-old Jacob. The impact threw Mark onto the hood and windshield of Grossman's vehicle. Grossman continued driving until she slowed down, causing Mark to roll off the hood. Grossman then fled the scene. Her vehicle automatically shut down due to the extensive structural damage from the crash, forcing her to stop. Grossman did not call for emergency assistance or help the children. The crash caused severe blunt force trauma to both boys, and they died from their injuries.
Cause
The collision happened because Grossman drove under the influence of alcohol and engaged in an illegal street race. She drank alcohol past the point of intoxication before driving. Grossman also knew that the neighborhood contained residential areas where pedestrians regularly used the crosswalk. Her high speed, erratic swerving, and intoxication prevented her from stopping for the pedestrians in plain sight.
Injury
Mark and Jacob Iskander sustained catastrophic blunt force injuries that caused their deaths. The collision also destroyed their clothing. Nancy, Karim, and Zachary Iskander stood in the crosswalk and directly witnessed the vehicle strike Mark and Jacob. This experience caused severe emotional distress to the surviving family members.
Damages Sought
The Iskander family sought financial compensation for several categories of losses. They demanded past and future wrongful death damages to compensate for the loss of Mark and Jacob’s love, companionship, comfort, care, assistance, affection, society, and moral support. The family requested compensation for the severe emotional distress suffered by Nancy and Zachary. They also sought punitive damages against Rebecca Grossman and Scott Erickson for malicious conduct, compensation for property damage, prejudgment and pre-trial interest, and legal fees.
Key Arguments and Proceedings
Legal Representation
Plaintiff(s): Nancy Iskander | Karim Iskander | minor Zachary Iskander.
· Counsel for Plaintiff(s): Brian J. Panish | Andrew Owen | Nicholas W. Yoka | Nick T. Movagar
Defendant(s): Rebecca June Grossman | Peter Grossman | Scott Erickson.
· Counsel for Defendant(s): Thomas W. Shaver
Key Arguments or Remarks by Counsel
Claims
The Plaintiffs argued that Grossman acted with malice and conscious disregard for human life. They asserted that she intentionally drank to excess, planned a street race with Erickson, and drove at lethal speeds through a familiar pedestrian area. The Plaintiffs emphasized that Grossman saw the children but failed to stop, carried Mark on her hood, fled the scene, and never called for medical aid. This behavior delayed emergency responders, which directly contributed to the deaths of the children. The Plaintiffs also argued that Peter Grossman negligently entrusted his vehicle to his wife despite knowing the risks.
Defense
Rebecca Grossman and Peter Grossman filed a formal answer denying every allegation made in the complaint. The defense argued that they carried no legal responsibility or fault for the collision, the deaths, or the emotional trauma claimed by the Iskander family. Scott Erickson also denied the claims regarding his involvement in the street race and his shared role in causing the deaths.
Jury Verdict
The trial concluded before Judge Huey P. Cotton in Department NW - A at the Van Nuys Courthouse. On June 3, 2026, the jury returned a special verdict completely favoring the Iskander family.
The jury found that Rebecca Grossman was negligent and that her negligence directly caused the deaths of Mark and Jacob Iskander. The jury also found that Scott Erickson was negligent and that his negligence was a substantial factor in the children's deaths. Furthermore, the jurors decided that Grossman and Erickson acted in concert during the activities that led to the fatal collision, confirming they engaged in a race. The jury found that Rebecca Grossman drove the vehicle with the permission of its registered owner, Peter Grossman.
The panel discovered that the City of Westlake owned the intersection. However, the jurors determined that the intersection was not in a dangerous condition at the time of the collision. The jury also noted that neither Rebecca Grossman nor Scott Erickson engaged in conduct with malice, oppression, or fraud.
The jury awarded a total of $176,000,000 in damages to the Plaintiffs. The award details are split across specific categories of losses:
Wrongful Death Damages for Mark Iskander
The jury awarded Nancy and Karim Iskander $8,000,000 for past losses from the date of the accident on September 29, 2020, to the trial date. They awarded an additional $51,000,000 for the future loss of Mark’s love, companionship, comfort, care, and society.
Wrongful Death Damages for Jacob Iskander
The jury awarded Nancy and Karim Iskander $6,000,000 for past losses up to the trial date. They also awarded $42,000,000 for the future loss of Jacob’s love, companionship, comfort, care, and society.
Emotional Distress Damages for Nancy Iskander
The jury noted that Nancy Iskander was aware that the collision caused injury or death to her children. The panel awarded Nancy Iskander $10,000,000 for the past severe emotional distress she suffered from witnessing the crash. They awarded her $25,000,000 for future emotional distress.
Emotional Distress Damages for Zachary Iskander
The jury found that minor Zachary Iskander was also aware that the collision caused injury or death to his brothers. The jury awarded Zachary $6,000,000 for past emotional distress caused by the incident and $28,000,000 for his future emotional distress.
Because the jury answered "YES" to Question 5 regarding concerted action and "NO" to Question 20 regarding the road conditions, the instructions directed them to stop and sign the form without apportioning fault percentages. The presiding juror signed and dated the verdict form on June 3, 2026, closing the trial proceedings.
Court documents are available upon request at [email protected]
