Latest news with #FranciscoIturralde
National Post
3 days ago
- National Post
White belt student awarded $56M after being paralyzed by jiu-jitsu instructor
A beginner jiu-jitsu student in California was awarded $56 million ($77 million CDN) after being paralyzed by his black belt instructor during a sparring session. Article content Jack Greener, 30, a white belt, had been sparring with Francisco Iturralde, 33, during a Brazilian jiu-jitsu session in Del Mar, California, when he suffered the devastating spinal cord injury, KNSD reported. Article content Article content Article content The incident took place on Nov. 29, 2018, at Del Mar Jiu-Jitsu Club, when the two men were paired up. Article content Iturralde, a second-degree black belt, put his entire weight on Greener in a position that crushed the student's cervical vertebrae, rendering him a paraplegic. Article content Greener was hospitalized for several months and suffered multiple strokes among a series of other ailments, according to his attorneys. Article content The injured man was weeks away from graduating from college and was set to start a career as a professional surf instructor when he was paralyzed. Article content In 2023, a San Diego jury awarded him $46 million US, but with post-judgment interest, it now exceeds $56 million US. Article content The studio appealed the decision to the California Supreme Court, which declined to overturn the judgment this week. Article content Article content The verdict was also affirmed by a state appellate panel late last year, according to the outlet. Article content Greener sued the jiu-jitsu club for the injuries he suffered, blaming Iturralde, who is known on one website as 'Sinistro,' or 'Sinister,' for his 'dynamic, aggressive grappling style,' according to the New York Post. Article content 'When it occurred, 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.'' Article content View this post on Instagram A post shared by CHASE VIKEN (@wavechase) Article content
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Jiujitsu student gets $56m payout after he's paralyzed from neck down by instructor who 'crushed him'
A beginner jiujitsu student has been awarded $56million after an in-class accident he attended left him paralyzed from the neck down. In 2018, white-belt Jack Greener, 30, was sparring with second-degree black-belt teacher Francisco Iturralde when his cervical vertebrae was crushed during a terrifying move. Greener sued the Del Mar Jiu-Jitsu Club in California, owned by Michael Phelps, on the grounds that the premises was responsible for the fractured neck and spinal cord injury he received that he claimed forever altered his life. Greener underwent surgery soon after the accident and, over the course of the next seven years, recovered. He's now a mountain climber and motivational speaker. In 2023, an appellate district court awarded Greener $46million in damages, which the jiu-jitsu studio appealed at the California Supreme Court - but it declined to overturn the judgement. Now, with interest, the studio's been ordered to pay a total of $56million. Greener previously attended classes at a different school but stopped because it was too far from his home, according to the court judgement. The student then started classes at the Del Mar Jiu-Jitsu Club in early November 2018, and he sparred with his instructor at the end of a class later than month. Greener was in the 'turtle position' with his elbows and knees on the floor when, he claimed, Iturralde 'lost control and injured' him. Iturralde testified that Greener seemed highly experienced for a white belt and had expressed a desire to be competitive. He admitted that the move was 'dangerous' and he wouldn't execute it if he 'could not safely' do so. Owner Phelps and instructor Iturralde pushed back and said students should assume risk when participating in combat sports, but the court maintained that the black-belt instructors should be held to a higher standard than their student counterparts. When they appealed the decision to the state Supreme Court, it recently declined to review the case. Greener's used his story to motivate others and documented his journey to become one of only two people with his disability to go above 14,000ft on foot when he climbed Mount Bross in Colorado, according to his website. In January 2019, he started to regain movement and could walk with the help of a cane. He then set out to be the first with his condition to ascend Mount Whitney in California, with its elevation of 14,505ft. Last November, Greener posted a reflection on his Instagram about the six years since he was paralyzed. He said: 'Six years to infinity. The PTSD of the actual situation has all but healed. Having spent April 23 to now mending the prior four years. Which, to be honest, is pretty cool. And I'm left to mend the remaining pieces as it pertains to courtrooms, suits, and ties. 'Honestly, I've not achieved much of anything in 2024 and have seemingly regressed in career, finances, etc. Much of it out of my control. But that's OK, progress and growth isn't linear. 'The good news is I have a few doors in front of me and, relatively speaking, I'm happy and secure. So here's to hoping the right doors open.'
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Jiu-jitsu student, 30, is handed huge sum after being left a quadriplegic due to terrifying move in beginner's lesson
A jiu-jitsu student was awarded a staggering $56 million payout after a shocking accident left him a quadriplegic. White belt Jack Greener, 30, was sparring with second-degree black belt teacher Francisco Iturralde when his cervical vertebrae was crushed in a terrifying move. Greener filed a lawsuit against the Del Mar Jiu Jitsu club in San Diego, California, owned by a man named Michael Phelps, on the grounds that the club was responsible for fractured neck and spinal cord injury that forever altered his life on November 29, 2018. An appellate district court awarded Greener $46 million in damages in 2023, and the California Supreme Court declined to review an appeal on May 20, which closed the case. Now with post-judgment interest, Greener's total exceeds $56 million. The California Supreme Court's decision represents a long battle for Greener, who was hospitalized for months after the accident and suffered multiple strokes. According to his website, he was in surgery for nine hours to remove the blood clots in his brain and was given two days to show improvement, or he'd be offered assisted suicide. He was weeks away from graduating college and was hoping to start his career as a professional surf instructor when he was paralyzed. Greener started the sport in 2015 and was a white belt, which is the first level in jiu-jitsu, before he sparred with Iturralde in 2018 He attended classes at a different dojo but stopped because it was too far from his home, according to the court judgement. Greener then started classes at the Del Mar Jiu Jitsu club in early November 2018. Later that month, he sparred with his instructor at the end of a class. He was in the 'turtle position' with his elbows and knees on the floor when Iturralde 'lost control and injured Greener.' Iturralde testified that Greener seemed highly experienced for a white belt and had expressed a desire to be competitive in the sport. He admitted that the move was 'dangerous' and he wouldn't execute it if he 'could not safely' do so. 'While sparring with Greener during a BJJ class, Iturralde gave no demonstration or active instruction,' the court judgement read. 'Instead, he acted more like a student coparticipant than an instructor when he immobilized and executed a series of maneuvers on Greener. 'But as an instructor with superior knowledge and skill of BJJ, Iturralde was differently situated from other students, and thus he can—and we conclude should—be held to a different standard.' The court concluded that there was evidence Iturralde 'knew he had created a situation posing a heightened risk to Greener's safety' and argued that the risk of immobilizing a student is not inherent in jiu jitsu sparring. Phelps and Iturralde's representation argued that students should assume risk when participating in combat sports, but the court maintained that the black-belt instructors should be held to a higher standard than their student counterparts. One of Greener's attorneys, Rahul Ravipudi, told local NBC affiliate, KNSD, that the 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.' Greener has since used his story to motivate others and documented his journey to become one of only two people with his disability to go above 14,000 feet on foot when he climbed Mount Bross in Colorado, according to his website. In January 2019, he started to regain movement and could walk with the help of a cane. His next goal is to be the first with his condition to ascend Mount Whitney in California, which has an elevation of 14,505 feet. Greener (pictured climbing a mountain on his Instagram on April 13) has now taken up climbing and was one of only two people with his disability to ascend 14,000 feet on foot Last November, he posted a reflection on his Instagram about the six years since he was paralyzed. '6 years to infinity. The PTSD of the actual situation has all but healed. Having spent April 23' to now mending the prior four years. Which tbh is pretty cool. And I'm left to mend the remaining pieces as it pertains to courtrooms, suits and ties. 'Honestly, I've not achieved much of anything in 2024 and have seemingly regressed in career, finances, etc. Much of it out of my control. But that's ok, progress and growth isn't linear. 'The good news is I have a few doors in front of me And relatively speaking, I'm happy and secure. So here's to hoping the right doors open.'
