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Student Paralyzed in Jiu-Jitsu Accident Wins $46 Million Suit

Mark Jacobs 2023.04.04 2 min read

A jury in San Diego, Calif. has awarded a man $46 million as the result of a lawsuit he filed after being paralyzed in a Brazilian jiu-jitsu class at the hands of the instructor.

Jack Greener was attending a beginner’s class at the Del Mar Jiu-Jitsu club in 2018 when he suffered a neck injury that left him with incomplete quadriplegia or partial paralysis in all four limbs. He subsequently filed a lawsuit against the school’s owner, Michael Phelps, and the instructor reported to have caused the injury, Francisco Iturralde.

According to a release from Business Wire, Greener was in a turtle position on all fours when Iturralde, an accomplished black belt who took a bronze medal at the no-gi world championships in 2016, trapped his arm. Iturralde is said to have then launched himself up and over Greener placing his entire body weight on Greener’s neck crushing his cervical vertebrae and leaving him paralyzed.

After deliberating for two days, the jury awarded Greener $637,959 for loss of past and future earnings, $1,337,153.23 for past medical expenses, $8,500,000 for future medical expenses, $11,000,000 for past pain and suffering, and $25,000,000 for future pain and suffering.

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