Rebecca Grossman, Scott Erickson and Peter Grossman were found liable in the civil case tied to a 2020 Westlake Village crash.
LOS ANGELES, CA — A Los Angeles County jury awarded $176 million Wednesday to the family of two young brothers killed in a 2020 Westlake Village crash, finding Rebecca Grossman and former Major League Baseball pitcher Scott Erickson liable in a civil wrongful death case.
The verdict gives the family of Mark Iskander, 11, and Jacob Iskander, 8, a major civil judgment nearly two years after Grossman was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for the boys’ deaths. Jurors also found that Grossman and Erickson acted with malice, a finding that could lead to a separate punitive damages phase. Grossman’s husband, Dr. Peter Grossman, was also held financially responsible because jurors found he owned the vehicle and had allowed her to drive it.
The civil case centered on the Sept. 29, 2020, crash on Triunfo Canyon Road, where the Iskander family was crossing the street. Mark and Jacob were with their parents and siblings when they were struck by an SUV driven by Rebecca Grossman. Their mother, Nancy Iskander, survived and later became one of the central witnesses in both the criminal and civil proceedings. During the civil trial, attorneys for the family argued that Grossman and Erickson had been driving at high speeds through the area after leaving a nearby restaurant. “This was never just about money,” the family’s attorney Brian Panish said during the case, describing the verdict as an effort to hold all responsible parties accountable.
Jurors found Grossman and Erickson negligent in the deaths of the boys. Erickson, a former pitcher whose career included time with the Los Angeles Dodgers, was not driving the SUV that hit the children. The family’s lawyers argued that he and Grossman were acting together as they drove through Westlake Village. Evidence presented in the criminal case showed Grossman was driving far above the posted 45 mph speed limit shortly before impact. Investigators said her vehicle’s safety system later disabled the SUV after the crash. Grossman’s defense has disputed key parts of the prosecution’s account, including whether she was racing and whether Erickson’s vehicle played a role before the boys were struck.
The verdict followed Grossman’s 2024 criminal conviction on two counts each of second-degree murder and gross vehicular manslaughter, along with a hit-and-run count. Prosecutors said she was speeding, distracted and failed to stop in time as the family crossed the road. The criminal jury rejected defense claims that another vehicle struck the boys first. Grossman, a co-founder of the Grossman Burn Foundation, received two concurrent 15-years-to-life sentences, plus additional time on the hit-and-run conviction. Her case drew broad attention in Southern California because of the children’s ages, the location of the crash and Grossman’s social and philanthropic profile.
The civil lawsuit carried a different burden of proof than the criminal case and allowed the family to seek damages from people who were not convicted of murder. Peter Grossman was included because he owned the Mercedes-Benz SUV Rebecca Grossman was driving, and jurors found he had given her permission to use it. The total award covers the family’s claimed losses tied to the deaths of Mark and Jacob and the trauma suffered by surviving family members, including their younger brother Zachary. It was not immediately clear how the $176 million would be divided among the defendants or whether post-trial motions would challenge the amount.
The jury’s finding of malice raises the possibility of more financial penalties. In civil court, punitive damages are meant to punish conduct jurors find especially harmful and to deter similar conduct. That phase is separate from the compensatory damages already awarded. Attorneys in the case had asked jurors to weigh the boys’ lives, the family’s loss and the conduct of the adults involved before and after the crash. The verdict was reached after jurors heard weeks of testimony and then deliberated before returning their decision in Van Nuys Superior Court.
The crash left a deep mark on Westlake Village, a suburban community west of Los Angeles where the boys’ deaths led to years of court proceedings and public grief. Mark and Jacob were often described in court through their family’s memories, photographs and accounts of daily life before the crash. Nancy and Karim Iskander have attended hearings through the criminal and civil cases, at times sitting only feet from Grossman and the lawyers arguing over how the collision happened. Their public statements have focused on the loss of their sons and the long process of seeking accountability.
Grossman remains imprisoned while the civil case moves toward possible post-verdict proceedings. The next milestone is whether the court proceeds with a punitive damages phase and how any judgment will be entered or challenged after Wednesday’s verdict.
Author note: Last updated June 4, 2026.