It was a normal day for Leon Bostick. Like usual, he warmed up on an elliptical machine at Gold’s Gym in Venice, California and stretched for a while before he moved over to a Flex Equipment Co. Smith machine to do squats.

He started with about 90 pounds of weight and gradually increased it after each set. After a few sets, the bar of weights fell because it lacked a safety device and Bostick went to floor with a couple hundred of pounds crashing down on his neck.

Bostick, a former Marine and lifelong athlete, is now confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

He sued Flex and the gym. He offered to settle with Flex and its insurer, Atlantic Mutual, for its policy limit of $1 million, but the company never responded so the case went to trial.

Gold’s gym settled for $7.3 million.

A Superior Court jury found Flex liable and awarded Bostick $14.6 million. Frustrated that its insurer didn’t settle, Flex gave Bostick the right to sue Atlantic Mutual for bad faith for refusing to settle earlier in the case.

After 7 years of litigation, a U.S. District Court jury ruled against the insurance company and awarded Bostick an additional $11.3 million.

For more information on filing a personal injury lawsuit, check out our feature section, Personal Injury Case Steps.