$7M judgment in Kamloops beating that left teen with catastrophic brain injuries

A B.C. Supreme Court judge has awarded nearly $7 million to a Kamloops man and his family following a 2016 assault that left him with serious, life-altering injuries.

In June 2016, Kristopher Teichrieb attacked Jessie Simpson, then 18 years old, with a baseball bat after the teen had wandered onto his property.

1:47 Kamloops teen in hospital with life threatening injuries

Teichrieb is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to aggravated assault in 2018.

Last month a civil trial found him liable for damages, which the judge has now assessed at $6.94 million.

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“We don’t often see judgments that are that large,” lawyer Kyla Lee of Acumen Law said. “Part of the reason such a large judgment was awarded in this case had to do with the significant nature of the injuries.”

Simpson suffered catastrophic injuries, including a skull fracture and significant brain swelling, which left him in a coma for nine months. Simpson will need 24-hour care for the rest of his life.

“I couldn’t believe that somebody would do that to him,” neighbour Christina Forde said.

“Jessie’s never had a mean bone in his body. He’s never picked a fight.”

In handing down the reward, the judge noted that the teen had been robbed of the ability to lead a normal life and is now unable to enjoy the amenities of life that he would reasonably have expected.

Damages include $3 million for future care, $1.5 million for health-care services, $1.3 million for loss of future income, and approximately $400,000 for pain and suffering.

“Given the nature of the award and how significant it was, the message here is that if you commit a crime that leads to somebody suffering serious bodily harm that has life-altering consequences, you can expect to be financially liable for that to the tune of millions of dollars,” Lee said.

A GoFundMe has been started to raise money for Jessie’s care and his family.