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Accidents On Film Sets Often Go Unreported

BY: Koszdin | Monday, May 17, 2021.

The film industry is known for giving credits and paying tribute. In fact, every movie ends with a scrolling screen of credits and often a “dedicated to” at the end of those credits to memorialize those who were lost during filming. But what we do not see are the crew members who may have suffered unreported injuries during filming.

Workplace accidents happen all the time, and often, they do go unreported or untreated and leave workers with long-term issues to handle on their own. We are here to tell you that you are not alone. If you have suffered an injury in a workplace accident, consult our Los Angeles workers compensation attorneys at Koszdin, Fields & Sherry.

Quiet On The Set

According to the Associated Press (AP), workers on both sides of the camera suffer broken bones, burns, being maimed, and death every year. In a business filled with risks like dangerous stunts and explosions, you would assume some injuries are inevitable, but just as many injuries occur from falling off ladders, falling equipment, car accidents, and machines without proper safety guards.

Most of the on-set accidents remain largely unseen and under-reported. Every year, the compensation and fines paid for these accidents usually amount to mere thousands of dollars while studios pour out multimillion-dollar budgets on a weekly basis.

The fines studios and production companies are penalized are often fiercely contested, and further litigation is rarely pursued. The film industry is extremely competitive, and specialized laborers fear being blacklisted which keeps them from filing a workers’ comp claim or even being a witness to an incident that resulted in an injury.

In nearly half the occurrences of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fining studios or production companies because of a serious accident, penalties were reduced or reversed. The fines collected in any of these cases are not even a tiny dent in these companies’ financial reports

According to court records, OSHA investigations, and news reports, 43 people have died on film sets in the United States, and more than 150 have suffered life-altering injuries. These are the reported figures, but the AP found OSHA databases did not reflect several major accidents. Many accidents were missing from the database, including the 1993 death of actor Brandon Lee by accidental shooting on the set of “The Crow.” OSHA officials compiled a 1,500-page investigative file on Lee’s death, yet his case was missing from the statistical database.

“I think it’s always been something that’s been swept under the rug,” said Stephen Farber, a film critic, and journalist.

Action

Employers should be held accountable if they are injured in a workplace accident due to no fault of their own. The types of injuries common in cases include:

  • Broken bones
  • Burns and smoke inhalation
  • Back and neck injuries
  • Head and brain injuries
  • Knee and foot injuries
  • Shoulder injuries
  • Lacerations and scarring
  • Loss of limb or severed fingers
  • Nerve damage
  • Eye injuries
  • Fatal injuries

If you have suffered an injury in a workplace accident and need direction on securing the maximum compensation, contact the Los Angeles workers compensation attorneys at Koszdin, Fields & Sherry for a free consultation by clicking here or calling 800-747-3447.

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