Family Sues Boxing Match Organizers for $200,000 After Student's Death
Lawsuit alleges negligence in the death of a 23-year-old graduate student following a charity boxing event.
The family of Jubel Reji Kurian, a 23-year-old student who died from a severe brain injury after being knocked out during a charity boxing match, is suing the event organizers for £200,000. Kurian collapsed in the ring on March 29, 2023, at Nottingham's Harvey Haddon Sports Centre during the final round of an amateur bout.
He was taken to the hospital after suffering bleeding on both sides of his brain but never regained consciousness. His life support was subsequently turned off. His father, Reji Kurian, who had returned from the United Arab Emirates, argues that the organizers, Ultra Events Ltd, should have stopped the fight before the fatal blow was delivered.
During a preliminary hearing at London's High Court, the family's barrister, Harry Trusted, stated that the lawsuit's success hinges on demonstrating a "sufficient level of carelessness" by the defendants, asserting that "if that punch had not been delivered, Mr Kurian would have survived."
Ultra Events Ltd denies liability, contending that the referee was experienced and competent and capable of supervising the amateur match. The company's barrister, Daniel Tobin, noted that Kurian had undergone over 33 hours of training at a local boxing gym and insisted that the organizers exhibited no "very high degree of carelessness."
The case is proceeding towards a trial scheduled for next year. Lawyers are currently arguing over which evidence will be admissible. The family's legal team sought permission to present expert testimony from a referee with over 40 years of experience to analyze video footage of the fight. However, Ultra Events' counsel objected, arguing the proposed expert lacked specific knowledge of white-collar boxing regulations and any medical expertise.
Despite the objections, the judge permitted the expert evidence to be heard at trial, granting Ultra Events the option to present their own expert witness.
Kurian had moved to the UK six months prior to his death to pursue a master's degree in sports medicine, with aspirations of becoming an NHS physiotherapist. An inquest in 2024 concluded that he died from a "devastating" brain injury so severe that medical intervention could not have saved him. A witness at the inquest reported that Kurian was performing well in the bout until the tide turned in the third round.