Rebel Wilson’s Movie Set Injury: Challenges And Compensation

On a recent Instagram post, Wilson zoomed in on her nose stitches, with the area still looking red but otherwise fine.

“I was shooting an independent movie in Savannah, Georgia, and in the middle of a night shoot, my last scene of the movie, I’d done all these kick-ass fight sequences, and then just in the last one, got hit in the face with the butt of a gun,” she explained.

In her video update, Wilson said she had loved making an action film but added that it could definitely be dangerous.

Injuries and Lost Financial Opportunities

Some people may remember the 1982 Twilight Zone movie helicopter crash that killed C-list actor Vic Morrow and two young children. That crash spawned several lawsuits and led to changes that made movie sets safer. But injuries on movie sets still happen.

Actors and actresses with bloody noses usually don’t impress directors. A seemingly minor injury could mean several missed auditions and several missed opportunities. Big-name actresses like Rebel Wilson get other chances. But for unknown actors and actresses, like the ones that we see at the neighborhood Walmart, if opportunity knocks and they can’t answer the door, opportunity probably won’t knock again.

People with freelance jobs face the same difficulties. If Bill cannot complete his writing assignments because he’s convalescing from an injury, his clients will most likely find someone else.

So, when calculating a claim’s settlement value, a Los Angeles personal injury attorney must include a reasonable sum for future lost income. The same thing applies to future medical bills. Many car crashes and other personal injuries are permanent injuries that require ongoing care. If a settlement doesn’t set aside money for these costs, the victim could be financially responsible for them.

For this reason, meaningful settlement negotiations cannot begin until medical treatment is at least substantially complete.

Assumption of the Risk in Movies and Sports

Accidents happen on movie sets, TV sets, and during competitive sports. Sometimes, the assumption of the risk defense shields producers and sports leagues from liability in movie set accidents. This defense applies if the victim:

• Voluntarily assumed
• A known risk.

A stunt mishap or a between-the-lines sports injury is a known risk, whether or not the actor or sports participant signs a liability waiver.

Incidentally, these waivers are often against public policy and therefore unenforceable. Usually, participants must sign these take-it-or-leave-it contracts of adhesion exactly as is.

Extreme injuries, like helicopter crashes on movie sets, aren’t a known risk. In fact, director John Landis made young children work on a dangerous set in the middle of the night, in clear violation of child labor laws. He also didn’t tell their parents about the hazard.

Schedule a free consultation with our personal injury lawyers today!

An outside-the-lines sports injury could go either way. Usually, athletes assume the risk of a locker room brawl. But they don’t assume the risk of a fight with a fan in the parking lot. Injury cases involve complex issues. For a free consultation with an experienced Movie Set Film Accident Attorney in Los Angeles, CA, contact Attorney Sharona Hakim at the Law Offices of Eslamboly Hakim. The sooner you reach out to us, the sooner we start fighting for you.