Kobe Bryant Crash: Man Injured By 'Heat Blast' Files Lawsuit Against Helicopter Company

A man who was injured by the 'heat blast' and 'concussion' of Kobe Bryant's tragic crash is suing the helicopter company, claiming its negligence is responsible for the accident, and therefore his injuries.

According to legal documents, obtained by The Blast, David Curtis says he was standing in the area near Calabasas when the helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant and his young daughter, slammed into a hillside, killing everyone on board. Curtis says he was injured by the concussion and heat blast from the massive explosion -- and is suing Island Express for their "negligence" which he claims is the reason for the accident.

In the filing, attorneys for Curtis claim, "Defendants operated a Sikorsky S-76B Helicopter FAA registration N72EX which crashed resulting in injuries and damages to David Curtis. Mr. Curtis was directly adjacent to the crash site at the moment of impact and was injured as a result of the concussion and heat blast of the explosion which occurred after the helicopter crashed."

It continues, "Defendants were at all times operators, owners, lessees, managers and responsible for the maintenance of the aircraft, and were acting individually and/or by and their agents or employees, in course and scope of employment. The cause of the crash was their negligence and as a direct consequence of the crash, Plaintiff has suffered injuries and damages."

Although the lawsuit doesn't list a specific amount of damages, Curtis claims he is suing for "wage loss, hospital and medical expenses, general damages, and loss of earning capacity."

As we reported, several individuals were hiking and cycling nearby when the helicopter rapidly descended into the hillside and crashed. At the time, several witnesses called 911 to report the tragic accident.

The lawsuit comes on the heels of Kobe Bryant's wife, Vanessa, settling with the same helicopter company for the death of the NBA legend and the couple's young daughter. The details of the settlement are confidential and were awaiting a signoff from the judge in the case. As we reported, Vanessa squarely blamed the helicopter company and the pilot for allowing a flight when the weather was dangerously too foggy. "Island Express Helicopters authorized, directed and/or permitted a flight with full knowledge that the subject helicopter was flying into unsafe weather conditions," she said. Adding the pilot, Ara Zobayan, failed to “use ordinary care in piloting the subject aircraft.” In the end, she claimed, “the company is vicariously liable in all respects.”

In the legal documents, Curtis does not mention Kobe Bryant or the others onboard but simply writes he was the victim of a helicopter accident on January 26, 2020 -- the day of the fateful crash.

The lawsuit is seeking compensatory damages.