On Thursday, Manila time, a court case was launched by Kobe Bryant’s widow over graphic photos obtained by the first rescuers at the scene of the helicopter accident that k*lled him.

Nine people passed away in January 2020 when a helicopter outside Los Angeles crashed with a hillside, including the basketball star and his teenage daughter.

Vanessa Bryant claims she had emotional distress as a result of witnesses from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and firemen taking photos of the incident and sharing them with friends and rescue personnel.

Although the images were taken, Los Angeles County’s attorneys argue they were never publicly disclosed and have since been removed.

According to Mira Hashmall, who is representing the county in the civil action, the question of public distribution was important to the outcome of the case.

“From the time of the crash to now, the county has worked tirelessly to prevent its crash site photos from getting into the public domain. Over two and a half years later, no county photos have appeared in the media, none can be found online, and the plaintiffs admit they’ve never seen them,” she stated.

Cases brought by Chris Chester, whose wife and daughter, also died in the accident, and Vanessa Bryant case have been combined.

According to CNN, a jury comprised of six women and four men was chosen on Wednesday.

Other several victims’ families received $2.5 million in compensation last year for the photo-taking.

After flying the Sikorsky S-76 into fog, the pilot most likely become disorientated, according to an assessment into the accident.