The producers of ‘Fast & Furious 9’ have admitted responsibility for an accident that left a stuntman with significant life-altering injuries.
As reported by Variety, Joe Watts, a seasoned stuntman who previously worked on films such as Solo: A Star Wars Story and Pokemon Detective Pikachu, was rehearsing a fight scene at Leavesden Studios in England in 2019 for Fast & Furious 9. , facing Vin Diesel’s understudy, when he was thrown over a balcony toward a concrete floor, over 20 feet (about 6 meters) high.
It is presumed that a safety wire designed to arrest his fall malfunctioned and he missed the intended mat for his landing because the stunt was performed differently from the initial rehearsal. Joe Watts, who suffered a fractured skull, head trauma, psychiatric damage and a shoulder injury, was in a coma for five days after the crash. According to his lawyers, he is left with “a range of cognitive and physical problems” requiring specialist support and therapy. They describe his wounds as “life-changing” wounds.
Last year, the stuntman filed a lawsuit for more than $1.2 million against FF9 Pictures Limited, a subsidiary of Universal Pictures in the United Kingdom. His legal file stated that he would not be able to return to the job he had before the accident and that even if he ended up not being able to work, he would suffer “a permanent handicap in the labor market. work.”
TAKING RESPONSIBILITY
In their defense case, which was recently filed in the UK High Court, FF9 Pictures Limited admitted that they were responsible for the accident whose sole cause was their negligence.
“Liability is therefore admitted in full and it is therefore admitted that [Joe Watts] is entitled to such damages as the court may assess or as the parties may agree“, continues the defense file.
However, FF9 Limited said they were making “no further admissions” at this stage regarding the nature and extent of Joe Watts’ injuries, their prognosis or their consequences. They also declined to comment on compensation, saying they would rely on “expert evidence” to advise the court on what would be appropriate.
For his part, a relieved Joe Watts told Variety: “It’s been almost four years since the accident, and during that time I’ve worked incredibly hard for my recovery. I know I’ll never be back on stage, which always upsets me, but I’m determined to get my life back on track as best I can. I am therefore grateful to FF9 Limited for acknowledging its responsibility and now calling on the film industry to make its sets safer for those who work there. I wouldn’t wish on anyone what I’ve been through.”