Colton Brooks was 17 when he lost control of the cherry catcher he was operating on July 21, 2011, in a grove operated by Stanton Orchards.
The 4,000-pound machine slammed into a tree and badly damaged Brooks' left leg.
Brooks sued the orchard's operators, and the Traverse City Record-Eagle reports (http://bit.ly/USAOa3 ) that this week he won one of the largest jury awards in the county's history.
Brooks' lawyer, R. Jay Hardin, says his client had limited experience on the machine and a brake malfunctioned.
Stanton Orchards operator Todd Stanton declined comment.
The jury award is intended to cover medical expenses already incurred as well as future medical expenses.
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Information from: Traverse City Record-Eagle, http://www.record-eagle.com
