SAN DIEGO (CNS) - The California Supreme Court has declined to review a civil jury verdict that awarded more than $46 million to a man who sustained a spinal cord injury during a Brazilian jiu-jitsu lesson in Del Mar that rendered him a quadriplegic.
Attorneys for Jack Greener alleged that on Nov. 29, 2018, he was a beginner 23-year-old student at Del Mar Jiu-Jitsu Club who was paired with instructor Francisco Iturralde, a second-degree black belt who placed Greener in a position that put his entire body weight upon Greener and crushed his cervical vertebrae, paralyzing him.
Greener was hospitalized for several months and suffered multiple strokes among a series of other ailments, according to his attorneys, who said he was weeks away from graduating from college and was starting a career as a professional surf instructor when he was paralyzed.
In 2023, a San Diego jury awarded him $46 million, but with post-judgment interest, that total judgment now exceeds $56 million, Greener's attorneys say.
The verdict was also affirmed by a state appellate panel late last year.
One of Greener's attorneys, Rahul Ravipudi, said the final appellate court's ruling "cements a critical legal victory not only for our client, but also for injured athletes across California by reaffirming that sports instructors and facilities may be held accountable when they unreasonably increase risks beyond those inherent in the sport."
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