Man who lost part of his skull gets $58m

A house painter so badly brain damaged that he can’t speak has been awarded $58m (€44.5m) by a jury after a beating at a bar left him with half his skull permanently bashed in.

Antonio Lopez Chaj, 43, appeared at a news conference with lawyers who announced the award handed down against a security company in Torrance Superior Court.

It was among the largest damage awards ever given to one person in California, the lawyers said.