Peter Grossman Questioned on Hidden Assets in Iskander Brothers Civil Trial

Dr. Peter Grossman faced sharp questioning over family finances as the civil trial against his imprisoned wife Rebecca enters its punitive damages phase.

Husband of Convicted Hit-and-Run Driver Questioned Over Wealth Concealment

Dr. Peter Grossman, a prominent Southern California plastic surgeon, was cross-examined Friday on the witness stand about his family's finances, as his imprisoned wife Rebecca Grossman and her former lover face punitive damages for the deaths of two young brothers in a 2020 hit-and-run crash, Courthouse News Service reports.

Brian Panish, the attorney representing the family of Mark and Jacob Iskander, accused Peter Grossman of dodging questions and giving evasive answers — both about his wife's liability in the fatal crash and about the couple's financial holdings.

"You are on both sides on every question, aren't you," Panish told Grossman during his examination.

Jurors in Los Angeles County Superior Court heard recorded prison phone calls in which Peter and Rebecca Grossman discussed concealing equity in their home from Panish, whom the couple referred to as an "ambulance chaser." Panish also highlighted a series of transfers involving the couple's 14,000-square-foot mansion: ownership was first moved from both spouses to Peter Grossman alone through a promissory note executed by Rebecca, then later placed into a trust.

"I didn't seek to hide the assets from the Iskander family," Peter Grossman told the jury.

$176 Million in Compensatory Damages Already Awarded

The civil trial, brought by the boys' parents against Peter and Rebecca Grossman and Scott Erickson — a former Major League Baseball pitcher who was romantically involved with Rebecca at the time of the crash — has entered its second phase. The Iskander family is seeking punitive damages on top of the $176 million in compensatory damages awarded earlier in the week.

On Wednesday, the jury found that Rebecca Grossman's and Erickson's negligence caused the deaths of the children. Jurors further determined that both acted with malice, clearing the legal threshold for the family to pursue punitive damages.

Rebecca Grossman, 62, is currently serving a sentence of 15 years to life following her 2024 convictions on two counts of murder, two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter, and one count of hit-and-run driving resulting in death. A California appeals court upheld those convictions in March.

Brothers Killed in Westlake Village Crosswalk

Mark and Jacob Iskander, ages 11 and 8, were struck and killed on 29 September 2020, whilst crossing a marked crosswalk in a residential neighbourhood of Westlake Village, an affluent city in western Los Angeles County. They were walking alongside their parents and two younger siblings when the crash occurred.

Grossman and Erickson are accused of racing separate Mercedes SUVs after drinking margaritas at a Westlake Village restaurant. The boys' mother, Nancy Iskander, testified at the earlier criminal trial that the two SUVs approached the crosswalk at "crazy" speeds and were changing lanes as though playing a game. She managed to grab one of her younger children and jump clear of Erickson's black SUV, but Rebecca Grossman's white SUV struck Mark and Jacob.

Grossman did not stop after hitting the boys, even though her airbags had deployed. Her vehicle came to rest approximately one-third of a mile from the crosswalk.

Erickson, 58, avoided criminal charges by agreeing to film a public service announcement about safe driving. He was also called to testify Friday and spoke about the remorse he carries over the incident.

"There's not a day gone by that I've been sad or upset and I wished that I had done something different," Erickson told the jury.

Peter Grossman Pushes Back on Speed Claims

Peter Grossman serves as medical director of the Grossman Burn Center and founded Grossman Plastic Surgery in West Hills, California, maintaining contracts with hospitals and burn centres both in California and in other states. He was also aware of his wife's relationship with Erickson prior to the crash. According to court filings, Rebecca Grossman divided her time between the Hidden Hills mansion she shared with her husband and a Westlake Village home she shared with Erickson, located less than a mile from the crash site.

During his testimony, Peter Grossman declined to characterise his wife's conduct in the terms pressed by Panish, and disputed the attorney's assertion that she was travelling 73 mph in a 45-mph zone at the moment of impact. When Panish challenged him to provide evidence contradicting the speed figure, Grossman suggested only that data from the vehicle's electronic data recorder — the so-called black box — had been corrupted.

"I agree that her conduct was negligent and that the outcome was tragic," he said. "I have difficulty with the term 'reprehensible.'"

Source: Courthouse News Service