A former Corona del Mar High School football player, Emanuel “Manny” Garcia, has been awarded a $31-million settlement after suffering a traumatic brain injury during a football practice in 2021. The injury occurred when Garcia, then a 15-year-old freshman, fell on uneven natural turf at the school in Newport Beach, California. Despite wearing a helmet, Garcia experienced a life-threatening brain bleed, leading to severe cognitive and emotional impairments.
The incident left Garcia in a coma, and his academic performance suffered significantly afterward, requiring him to enter special education. Nevertheless, Garcia graduated with his peers in June 2023.
The legal battle between Garcia’s attorneys and the Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) lasted more than two years. Lawyers representing Garcia argued that the district neglected to properly maintain the athletic fields, despite repeated warnings from coaches across various sports—football, soccer, and lacrosse—about the dangerous conditions. The warnings, which came in verbal and written forms, were ignored by district officials, including the school principal.
In response to the lawsuit filed in February 2022, NMUSD initially denied that Garcia suffered damages, suggesting that the injury was a result of Garcia’s own negligence. However, the legal discovery process revealed emails from as far back as 2016, highlighting safety concerns with the athletic fields.
Corona del Mar High’s lacrosse coach, G.W. Mix, expressed his worries in an email to school administrators, stating that the fields had become a safety hazard and liability issue. These concerns went unaddressed, contributing to the conditions that ultimately led to Garcia’s injury.
NMUSD spokeswoman Annette Franco declined to comment on the specifics of the settlement but emphasized that the district regularly assesses and maintains its fields. She noted that the district has invested in improving athletic facilities and is committed to ongoing maintenance to ensure student safety.
Garcia’s attorney, Jesse Creed, pointed out that the lack of regulated safety standards for youth sports fields is a widespread issue in California, emphasizing the need for districts to take field safety seriously to prevent future tragedies. Garcia echoed this sentiment, thanking his football coaches and urging school districts to prioritize safe playing conditions for student-athletes.
This settlement serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining safe environments for young athletes and holding institutions accountable when they fail to do so.
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