A man who sustained a spinal cord injury during a Brazilian jiu-jitsu lesson in Del Mar that rendered him a quadriplegic was awarded more than $46 million by a San Diego civil jury this week.
The injury occurred on Nov. 29, 2019 at the Del Mar Jiu-Jitsu Club. Jack Greener was 23 years old at the time.
Greener said in his lawsuit that instructor Francisco Iturralde, a second-degree black belt, put his entire body weight on Greener in a position that crushed the student’s cervical vertebrae, paralyzing him.
Attorneys say Greener was hospitalized for several months and suffered multiple strokes as well as other ailments. The man was weeks away from graduating from college and was starting a career as a professional surf instructor when he was paralyzed, attorneys said.
The jury deliberated for two days before returning its verdict on Tuesday, awarding Greener nearly $638,000 for loss of past and future earnings, more than $1.3 million for past medical expenses, $8.5 million for future medical expenses, $11 million for past pain and suffering, and $25 million for future pain and suffering.
