Jiu-Jitsu Student Who Was Paralyzed from Neck Down by Black-Belt Instructor Awarded $56 Million in Court
He was awarded $56 million in court after the jiu-jitsu studio appealed a 2023 verdict
Greener's cervical vertebrae was crushed when his instructor placed his full body weight on himA California man has been awarded $56 million after he was left paralyzed from the neck down by his jiu-jitsu instructor.
Jack Greener suffered the life-changing spinal cord injury at Del Mar Jiu-Jitsu Club in 2018 when he sought out the help of instructor Francisco Iturralde, a second-degree black belt also known as "Sinistro." Then a 23-year-old beginner white belt, Greener was sparring with Iturralde, 33, when his cervical vertebrae was crushed, according to NBC and CBS.
Greener's injury happened when the instructor placed his full body weight on the student, ultimately rendering him quadriplegic, per CBS. He spent several months in the hospital and reportedly suffered multiple strokes during treatment, his attorneys told the outlet.
A 2023 trial that lasted weeks awarded Greener, now 30, $46,475,112.33 in damages. The defendants appealed, but the California Supreme Court declined to overturn the verdict on Tuesday, June 3 and the amount now exceeds $56 million after post-judgment interest.
At the time, Greener was set to graduate from college just weeks after the injury and was pursuing a career as a professional surf instructor, his attorneys told CBS.
In a video shared on YouTube in 2022, Greener recalled the incident. "When it occured, the first thought that came to mind was, 'I'm going to be okay,' and then the second thought was, 'Oh s---, I can't move.' "
Iturralde, who began practicing jiu-jitsu at 13, is known for his "dynamic, aggressive grappling style," according to his Digitsu biography. His style "earned him the nickname 'Sinistro,' meaning 'Sinister,' " his bio reads.
Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
According to NBC, the jury determined Iturralde's actions "unreasonably increased the risks" to his student "beyond those inherent in Brazilian jiu-jitsu" and that instructors may be held liable for "negligent conduct."
Rahul Ravipudi, one of Greener's attorneys, praised the final ruling in a statement to NBC and said it "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."
Read the original article on People
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
YouTuber caught sexual predators on Roblox. Now he's facing ban from the platform.
A popular Roblox content creator alleged the platform has threatened to ban him for his involvement in exposing sexual predators on Roblox through Youtube videos. Schlep, a longtime Roblox and YouTube user, said the online gaming platform sent him a cease and desist notice due to his actions violating the company's polices. The content creator posted the full notice to his X (formerly Twitter) account Saturday. Roblox's letter claimed that the 22-year-old's 'actions are a violation of Roblox policies and directly undermine Roblox's safety efforts and, critically, are exposing our users to increased risk.' 'While Roblox acknowledges that your stated intentions may be to protect children, and while it recognizes the serious nature of online predatory behavior, your methods, including failing to immediately report suspicious activity to Roblox through proper channels, are actively interfering with Roblox's established safety protocols and, critically, are exposing Roblox's users to increased risk,' the statement said. Schlep disputed the claims Sunday in a video posted to YouTube, where he has over 650,000 subscribers. The video is titled 'Roblox Is Threatening to Sue Me For Protecting Kids.' The content creator argued that he and his team have managed to get six predators arrested over the past year for their actions on Roblox. He also said this is the first time a Roblox representative has reached out to him despite his attempts to contact them over safety concerns. Schlep revealed that he was groomed by a popular Roblox developer when he was a child, and that he even attempted suicide. 'He manipulated me, he used power dynamics over me, and frequently exposed me to gore and not safe for work material and loads of other stuff that a kid should never see,' Schlep said in the video. 'It was so bad that I actually made an attempt. While I was in the hospital, my mom contacted Roblox. They brushed her off. That predator went on to groom more victims before Roblox finally banned him years later.' Roblox stated 'cases of vigilante groups or individuals violating our policies to entrap users or otherwise self-police' in a recent news release shared by Schlep. The creator disputed the claim and said law enforcement agencies have made public statements showing gratitude for such work. More entertainment news: Popular singer scolds fan for bringing baby to concert. 'Protect his ears or something.' '90s sitcom star threatened with fat jokes if she didn't lose weight for hit show, she says Grammy-winning Latin music pioneer who lived in N.J. dies at 88 Actress known for 'Walking Dead,' '9-1-1′ roles dead at 33 Cop joked she was writing more tickets because she wasn't having sex. Now she's under investigation. Beloved band's former bassist accused of assaulting wife after he was caught sexting teen girls Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to Christopher Burch can be reached at cburch@ Follow him on Twitter: @SwishBurch. Find Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. Solve the daily Crossword
New York Post
9 hours ago
- New York Post
Melania Trump threatens to sue Hunter Biden for $1B over ‘false, defamatory' allegations linking her to Jeffrey Epstein: report
First lady Melania Trump recently put Hunter Biden 'on notice' – threatening to sue the former first son for 'over $ 1 billion dollars' for suggesting she was introduced to President Trump by notorious pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Melania's attorney demanded Hunter 'immediately retract the false, defamatory, disparaging, and inflammatory statements' he made about the first lady in an interview earlier this month on the YouTube show 'Channel 5 with Andrew Callaghan.' 'Failure to comply will leave Mrs. Trump with no choice but to pursue any and all legal rights and remedies available to her to recover the overwhelming financial and reputational harm that you have caused her to suffer,' Florida-based attorney Alejandro Brito wrote in his Aug. 6 demand letter to Hunter and his lawyer, Abbe Lowell, obtained by Fox News. Hunter falsely claimed 'Epstein introduced Melania to Trump,' in his interview with Callaghan, according to Brito. 'The connections are, like, so wide and deep,' the former president's son continued, referring to allegations put forward by author Michael Wolff — who was described by Brito as a 'serial fabulist.'
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Rapper DDG Allegedly Swatted by Los Angeles Sheriff's Department: 'I Almost Died Today'
Video shared by the rapper, 27, shows deputies surrounding him at a paintball tournament on Aug. 11 and briefly handcuffing him NEED TO KNOW DDG, 27, was the victim of an alleged swatting incident over the weekend in California In a video posted to YouTube, he is seen being led in handcuffs by deputies to a squad car and later being let out of those cuffs A Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department spokesperson told People they had no knowledge of the incident and that any information would need to come from the Santa Clarita station Popular YouTube star and rapper DDG claims he was the victim of a swatting incident over the weekend. The 27-year-old, who was born Darryl Dwayne Granberry Jr., went live on YouTube Aug. 11 and shared video from earlier that day which showed him being surrounded by members of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department in Castaic, where he was participating in a paintball tournament. The video shows deputies handcuffing him and escorting him to a vehicle, at which point the handcuffs are removed from his wrists. DDG said on YouTube that deputies refused to respond when he asked them why he was being detained. A member of the L.A. County Sheriff's Department staff told People they had no knowledge of the incident and that any information would need to come from the Santa Clarita station. Multiple calls to that station went unanswered as did emails requesting information. DDG titled his live broadcast after the alleged swatting: "I ALMOST D*ED TODAY." He described the moment deputies allegedly circled him with their cars, saying: "Ain't no what's up, ain't no nothing! Ain't no dude, we got a call. Nothing," DDG recounted. Instead, he alleged deputies immediately instructed him to get his hands in the air. DDG went on to say that he was in an altered state at the time, which made things even more intense, "And y'all know i just got done smoking. I just got done smoking. So, you got to think what's going through my mental, bro," DDG said. "I literally just got done getting high. I'm fried. So, I'm thinking to myself this whole time like, 'is this real?'"Deputies eventually released DDG, who said that he believes he was the victim of a swatting incident. Authorities have not confirmed what prompted deputies to rush to the site and detain DDG. DDG is facing no charges and did not say in his YouTube video if he had any notion who might be behind the swatting. In May 2025, his ex Halle Bailey, with whom he has a child, was granted a restraining order after alleging in court filings that the rapper was abusive. Bailey also received physical and legal custody of the couple's son Halo. Read the original article on People
