CHICAGO, April 21 (UPI) -- A Chicago-area high school football player left a quadriplegic after he was tackled by teammates at a practice has reached a $12.5 million settlement.
Rob Komosa was a 17-year-old junior at Rolling Meadows High School when his neck was broken in 1999 after he was pushed into an unpadded steel post 11 feet from the sideline of the school's practice field. His neck injury was similar to the horse jumping injury that paralyzed late actor Christopher Reeve from the neck down.
Komosa, 23, breathes through a tube and requires around-the-clock care.
The $12.5 million settlement with Rolling Meadows High School District 214 could reach $47 million with interest over his lifetime, said Jeffrey Kroll, partner at Clifford Law Offices.
"What struck me the most through working toward trial for Rod has been his spirit and his faith," said Kroll.
