Vanessa Bryant files wrongful death lawsuit against helicopter company

Attorneys for Vanessa Bryant filed a wrongful death lawsuit Monday against Island Express Helicopters, the company operating the aircraft that crashed in January, killing Bryant's husband, Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, their 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and the seven other people on board.

The lawsuit alleges the passengers were killed as a direct result of the "negligent conduct" of the helicopter's pilot Ara Zobayan, who was also killed in the crash, making the company "vicariously liable in all aspects."

Zobayan was Bryant's longtime pilot. The 27-count complaint argues he failed to abort the flight, monitor the weather, and keep a safe distance between the helicopter and natural obstacles, noting Zobayan was cited in 2015 for violating visual flight rules minimums, the Los Angeles Times reports. The suit reportedly seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.

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The helicopter crashed into a hillside in Calabasas, California, last month on a morning that was described as intensely foggy.

Vanessa Bryant on Monday spoke at a public memorial in Los Angeles for her husband and daughter. Read more at the Los Angeles Times.