Most people are familiar with ‘The Walking Dead’ t.v. Show, but few are aware that many of the stunts on the show are performed by stuntmen and women, and fewer realize that sometimes those stuntmen and women get injured. Tragically, accidental deaths have also been known to occur on film sets, and that’s exactly what happened to John Bernecker, a stuntman who “fell to his death on the set of ‘The Walking Dead’ in Georgia.” As a result of the accident, Bernecker’s mother, Susan Bernecker, recently filed a lawsuit against the “show’s network and other parties, saying unreasonably low budgets led to inadequate safety precautions.” The accident itself occurred on July 12, 2017.
Most people are familiar with ‘The Walking Dead’ t.v. Show, but few are aware that many of the stunts on the show are performed by stuntmen and women, and fewer realize that sometimes those stuntmen and women get injured. Tragically, accidental deaths have also been known to occur on film sets, and that’s exactly what happened to John Bernecker, a stuntman who “fell to his death on the set of ‘The Walking Dead’ in Georgia.” As a result of the accident, Bernecker’s mother, Susan Bernecker, recently filed a lawsuit against the “show’s network and other parties, saying unreasonably low budgets led to inadequate safety precautions.” The accident itself occurred on July 12, 2017.
Filed in Gwinnett County State Court, the lawsuit names AMC Networks as a defendant and alleges the network “orchestrated and enforced a pattern of filming and producing `The Walking Dead’ cheaply and, ultimately, unsafely.” In fact, the lawsuit claims “AMC pressured production company Stalwart Films to keep budgets and expenses unreasonably low, leading Stalwart to cut corners on safety measures.”
In addition to naming AMC, the lawsuit also names Stalwart Films, the show’s director, the “stunt coordinator for the episode that was being shot and an actor who was shooting a scene with Bernecker, among others.”
In addition to the lawsuit, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a citation to Stalwart Films in relation to Bernecker’s fatal accident, and “proposed a fine of $12,675, the maximum allowable fine for a single serious violation, for failure to provide adequate protection from fall hazards.”
In response to the citation, a Stalwart Films representative said the company “disagreed with the citation and called Bernecker’s fall a tragic and terrible accident, saying it meets or exceeds industry safety standards on its sets.”
AMC also pushed back against the allegations and issued an email statement that said: “We take the safety of our employees on all of our sets extremely seriously, and meet or exceed industry safety standards.”
The lawsuit is seeking punitive and compensatory damages, as well as attorney fees. For now, Bernecker’s mother hopes “her son’s death will lead to improved safety standards for stunt performers in the film and television industry,” and added:
“My goal is to do everything I can to protect other stunt performers and to ensure their safety on the set in the future. The industry is not doing enough to maintain basic safety guidelines for these performers. Worst of all, they’re scared to speak up.”
Sources:
Mother of “The Walking Dead” Stuntman Killed on Georgia Set Files Wrongful Death Suit
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