Convicted child killer Rebecca Grossman reached a secret settlement with the family of two young brothers she killed, significantly reducing her share of a nearly $200 million civil judgment. This confidential agreement has now prompted a judge to also reduce the liability of Grossman's former partner, ex-Major League Baseball player Scott Erickson.
The original jury award in the civil trial included $176 million in compensatory damages and $22.17 million in punitive damages to the Iskander family for the deaths of Mark, 11, and Jacob, 8. Part of the compensatory damages, totaling $69 million for "serious emotional distress" to the boys' mother, Nancy, and surviving son, Zachary, was allocated to Grossman and Erickson.
However, court documents revealed that Grossman made a settlement with the Iskanders prior to the trial, reducing their share of that $69 million to $14 million. This arrangement left Erickson responsible for the remaining $55 million of that specific award. Erickson's attorney then argued that under California law, a co-defendant is entitled to an "offset"—a reduction in liability equal to the settlement amount paid by another defendant—to prevent unjust enrichment or double recovery by the plaintiffs.
Judge Huey Cotton granted Erickson's motion, reducing his damages by $14 million. Despite this reduction, both Grossman and Erickson remain jointly liable for approximately $107 million in compensatory damages for the wrongful deaths of the Iskander boys, as well as the punitive damages.
Grossman was found guilty in February 2024 of two counts of second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter, and hit-and-run, and is currently serving a 15-year-to-life prison sentence. The fatal collision occurred in September 2020 when Grossman's speeding Mercedes SUV struck the brothers as they crossed a street in Westlake Village, California. The incident followed an evening where both Grossman and Erickson had been drinking at a local bar.
Erickson, though charged with misdemeanor reckless driving in the criminal case, which was dismissed after he completed a safe driving PSA, was a defendant in the civil lawsuit. The Iskanders' legal team argued he bore equal responsibility for the crash, citing his own admissions on the witness stand during the civil trial. Erickson testified that he lied to police about his alcohol consumption before the crash and admitted to a prior DUI conviction in Nevada. He also acknowledged providing the wrong vehicle to police for inspection following the incident.
Erickson and Grossman were in a romantic relationship at the time of the crash. Grossman's husband, Dr. Peter Grossman, was also initially named as a defendant as the owner of the vehicle involved.