Essentially, the plaintiff’s perspective is that Bernecker’s death was preventable and the result of negligence on the part of the productionAs the cabler once again expressed regret for Berncker’s death, the attorney for AMC Networks and other defendants, David Dial, told the Georgia jurors that the accident could not have been predicted, citing other similar stunts that went off flawlessly and yet were set up the same way.The production, including other stunt coordinators, did not “foresee he was going to go under the balcony and missed the middle of the catcher pad by nine feet,” Dial told the jury. 8/13/2020 10:50 AM PT Coweta County coroner Richard Hawk has said John Bernecker, 33, was pronounced dead at 6:30 p.m. July 12. Biography. 8/13/2020 11:40 AM PT He tragically died in an accident while filming an episode of Season 8 of The Walking Dead. AMC Networks were found “not to be negligent” in the death of the stuntman, said the juror foreperson in an unanimous decision just read out in court. During his career, he worked in over ninety works, including The Hunger Games, Logan, The 5th Wave, Get Out, Green Lantern and posthumously appeared in films such as Black Panther. 8/13/2020 3:38 PM PT 8/13/2020 1:19 PM PT However, the estate of Bernecker, as represented by his mother, was awarded $8.6 million in civil damages. AMC Networks said production on the eighth season of … There were others found liable as well, but it appears none will have to pay out of pocket. 8/13/2020 3:55 PM PT 8/13/2020 9:34 AM PT 8/13/2020 3:31 PM PT 8/13/2020 5:20 PM PT He attempted to abort the fall by grabbing onto the railing with both hands but plummeted 22 feet below ... landing on his head and neck.
8/13/2020 3:49 PM PT 8/13/2020 11:30 AM PT 8/13/2020 12:27 PM PT Stalwart was found 40% responsible and the show is 25% responsible.The jury ruled the victim -- Bernecker -- was 6% liable for his own negligence.
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But as he fell, Bernecker continued to hold on to the rail with his left hand, something that was not part of the plans for the stunt, and that ultimately changed the trajectory of his fall.“That purposeful action in hanging on is what took him away from the safety of the mat that he located,” Dial noted in his opening argument of December 10, placing the responsibility for the fatal accident on the stuntman himself.The Wheeler, Hudgins, Gunn and Dial partner also made a point of telling the assembled jurors, as AMC has in past filings in the case, that Bernecker was an employee of As it is, today’s verdict on Bernecker’s independent contractor position settles that matter and the jurisdictional issues, at least for now.Still, since the terrible accident and now through the legal process, the case once again put the issue of on-set safety in the spotlight, at least in the Peach State.Harris also represented the family of Sarah Jones, the camera assistant who was killed on the set of Having had a good result today, the Bernecker trial is not the only Since Darabont’s initial suit of 2013, Kirkman was joined by EP Gale Anne Hurd and other Launch dates for broadcast, cable and streaming programsUp-to-date lists for broadcast, cable and streaming seriesPandemic-proof vs. pandemic-contingent broadcast lineupsGet our latest storiesin the feed of your favorite networksWe want to hear from you! There were no additional punitive damages.Any appeal looks unlikely as the nearly $9 million the jury deemed in damages will be covered by insurance, a source close to the case told Deadline.Adding a further twist to the verdict, the jury decided that Bernecker was in fact an independent contractor, not an employee of production company Stalwart Films, which seems to be the main focus of liability in the jury’s perspective Thursday.Bernecker died two days after suffering massive head injuries while performing a stunt as part of a fight scene for Season 8 of the hit AMC series “John was a remarkably talented stunt professional who had an incredibly bright future in the film industry,” said plaintiff’s attorney Jeff Harris once the verdict was delivered. John’s tragic and preventable death happened as a result of a series of safety-related failures. 8/13/2020 6:54 AM PT
“The set ofBefore Judge Emily Brantley and the jury in the Gwinnett County courthouse the past week and a half, the civil suit was brought by Bernecker’s mother, Susan, on behalf of his estateHarris stated in court and in paperwork in the docket that the production failed to follow its safety policies, such as the presence of a safety coordinated on the set, and that it should have anticipated the possibility that Bernecker could have fallen outside the crash pad. 8/13/2020 1:37 PM PT A jury on Thursday awarded the estate $8.6 million after 2 days of deliberations ... this according to a report.