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In 2017, during the filming of a scene for Season 8 of The Walking Dead, actor Austin Amelio was on a small balcony with stuntman John Bernecker. Tragically, Bernecker fell over the balcony, missing the safety pads by two feet and landing head-first on concrete. He succumbed to severe head injuries two days later.

Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes – The Walking Dead _ Season 8, Episode 16 – Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC

Two years later, Bernecker’s estate received a favorable judgment in a wrongful death lawsuit. Although AMC Studios was not found negligent, the court awarded the family an $8.6 million settlement for civil damages.

The Tragic Death of The Walking Dead Stuntman John Bernecker

John Bernecker tragically passed away on July 13 2017 due to a head injury sustained during a fall while filming an episode of The Walking Dead‘s eighth season in Atlanta. Bernecker, a seasoned Hollywood stuntman since 2009, contributed to major films such...

Jeffrey Dean Morgan reveals that he broke both of his feet while filming The Walking Dead season 11. First debuting in 2010, The Walking Dead ran for 11 seasons, and spawned a massive franchise of its own that includes three spinoff series, and another further three in development. Morgan first appeared in the season 6 finale of the series as Negan, the bat-wielding leader of the Saviors, and quickly became a fan-favorite character for his distinct personality and his ruthlessness. Negan's popularity among fans led to Morgan getting a spinoff of his own, Dead City, which he will star in alongside Lauren Cohan (Maggie Rhee). While Dead City doesn't have a firm premiere date yet, the series wrapped filming last month, and is expected to be released in April 2023.

In March, Morgan made a brief post on Twitter about having broken his foot. In an interview with Insider, however, Morgan reveals that he broke both of his feet,...

After suffering a concussion on set on March 11, The Walking Dead’s Norman Reedus says he’s “gonna be back at work on Tuesday they tell me.”

The actor, who plays Daryl Dixon on the AMC zombie apocalypse series, took to social media on Friday to give an update on his condition and thank fans for their concern. Check out the Instagram below.

It remains unclear if the accident happened while Reedus was filming or not. Besides Reedus being out of commission for a spell, production on the looming final wrap day for Twd was been pushed for a few days by AMC.

News of Reedus’ injury was first revealed in a social media post from Fandemic Tour that “Norman Reedus had to postpone due to an accident while filming.”

Reedus was scheduled to appear for a portion of one day at the touring conventions Fandemic Dead Atlanta show set...

Exclusive: Norman Reedus has had a head injury on the set of The Walking Dead.

The incident occurred on March 11 in Georgia as the AMC series completes filming on its final episodes, I hear.

“Norman suffered a concussion on set,” the actor’s spokesperson Jeffrey Chassen told Deadline this morning. “He is recovering well and will return to work soon. Thank you to everyone for their concern.”

It remains unclear if the accident happened while Reedus was filming or not. Besides Reedus being out of commission for a spell, what we do know is that the looming final wrap day for Twd has been pushed for a few days by AMC and production.

News of Reedus’ injury was first revealed in a social media post from Fandemic Tour that “Norman Reedus had to postpone due to an accident while filming.”

Reedus was scheduled to appear for a portion of one...

AMC Networks urged a Georgia appeals court on Thursday to erase an $8.6 million jury verdict in the death of “The Walking Dead” stuntman John Bernecker.

Bernecker died in July 2017 after a 21-foot fall from a balcony. Last December, a jury found AMC’s corporate entity, Twd 8, and its production company, Stalwart Films, liable in his death.

The defendants appealed to the Third Division of the Georgia Court of Appeals, arguing that Bernecker should have been considered an employee, not an independent contractor. That would have forced Bernecker’s parents to go through Georgia’s workers’ compensation system, rather than getting a civil judgment.

A three-judge panel heard arguments on Thursday morning.

“Clearly Mr. Bernecker assumed the risk of his injuries,” said David Dial, arguing for the appellants. “He’s trained in fact to the assume the risk, and he assumed the risk.”

Dial argued that Bernecker’s contract repeatedly referred to him as an “employee,...

Update: An Atlanta jury awarded $8.6 million to the estate of John Bernecker, a stuntman who was working on set of The Walking Dead when he suffered a fatal fall from a balcony in July 2017.  Attorney Jeff Harris, who represented Bernecker's mother in the seven-day trial, said in a statement, "John was a remarkably talented stunt professional who had an incredibly bright future in the film industry. My sincere hope is this verdict sends a clear message regarding the need to both elevate and strictly adhere to industry safety standards every day, on every shoot, on every film set. John's tragic and preventable death happened as a result of a series of safety-related failures. Learning from these...

AMC has been found "not to be negligent" in the wrongful death civil suit involving The Walking Dead stuntman who died in a fall on set. The jury delivered the decision Thursday after two days of deliberation.

John Bernecker died after an accident on the set of The Walking Dead while filming a fight

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AMC was found “not to be negligent “in the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the mother of John Bernecker, a stuntman for “The Walking Dead” who died during filming of the show in July 2017. Bernecker’s parents were awarded $8.6 million.

WSB-TV reporter Tony Thomas tweeted on Thursday afternoon: “Breaking: Jury awards the parents of stuntman John Bernecker $8.6 million for his 2017 death on the set of the show The Walking Dead. Finds no punitive damages. Clears AMC Network and actor Austin Amelio of any negligence .

Bernecker fell to his death on the set of “The Walking Dead” in Georgia on July 12.

His mother said the show’s low budget led to inadequate safety precautions and her 33-year-old son’s death. In the lawsuit she said AMC Networks Inc, “orchestrated and enforced a pattern of filming and producing ‘The Walking Dead’ cheaply and, ultimately, unsafely.”

Bernecker says the show’s network pressured Stalwart Films,...

A jury awarded an $8.6 million verdict on Thursday in the death of “Walking Dead” stuntman John Bernecker, who fell to his death on the set of the show in Senoia, Ga., in July 2017.

The jurors found that AMC Networks’ entity, Twd 8, and its production company, Stalwart Films, were negligent in Bernecker’s death. The jury found that the parent company, AMC Networks, was not liable.

The verdict is a victory for Bernecker’s parents, Susan and Hagen Bernecker, who had accused AMC of cutting corners and ignoring its own safety protocols. Jurors in the Gwinnett County courthouse, in Lawrenceville, Ga., heard six days of argument and testimony in the case, including a frame-by-frame breakdown of video of the accident. They deliberated for two days before reaching their verdict.

Bernecker was playing in a scene in which he was supposed to fall over a railing and off a balcony, landing on a pad 21 feet below.

Updated with AMC statement: After two days of deliberations, the Georgia jury in the trial of the wrongful death of The Walking Dead stuntman John Bernecker returned with a verdict this afternoon.

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.

However, the estate of Bernecker, as represented by his mother, was awarded $8.6 million from the jury in civil damages. There were no additional punitive damages. Any appeal looks to be unlikely as the nearly $9 million that the jury deemed in damages will be covered by insurance, a source close to the case told Deadline.

Adding a further twist to this 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.

Two years ago, in 2017, while filming a scene for AMC’s very successful, long-running TV show The Walking Dead, based on Robert Kirkman’s comic book series of the same name, a stuntman by the name of John Bernecker fell to his death during a stunt gone wrong. Today, his family’s lawyer made his closing argument, accusing AMC of being liable for Bernecker’s death, saying that it was entirely preventable and asking for $40-$100 million in damages.

The stunt in question involved Bernecker falling over a railing after being killed by Dwight, Austin Amelio’s character. There was a crash pad below him and things seemed set, but something went awry and Bernecker missed the pad by between two and nine feet. He fell on his skull and was rushed to a hospital, where he died two days later.

AMC’s arguing that he gripped the railing on his way down,...

Update, 10:51 Am Pt: The attorney for AMC Networks and other defendants said that stuntman John Bernecker’s death from injuries on the set of The Walking Dead was a “horrific” unforeseen accident, with no evidence that it was due to failure to follow safety protocols.

Attorney David Dial told jurors in a Georgia civil trial that they could ultimately decide that no one was at fault when Bernecker fell from a high balcony to a concrete floor. That is something that would allow jurors to not pin the blame for the accident on the production, as Bernecker’s family alleges, or on the stuntman, as the defendants have suggested.

Bernecker died two days after suffering massive head injuries while rehearsing a fight scene for the show. He was to fall head first over the rail balcony and into an airbag. But in his closing argument, Dial said that Bernecker...

Former The Walking Dead co-star Austin Amelio was on the small balcony filming a Twd Season 8 scene with stuntman John Bernecker in 2017 when Bernecker fell over, missing the protective pads underneath by two feet and landing on the concrete head-first. He died two days later from the severe head injuries.

“I saw the whole thing, I was in complete and utter shock,” Amelio told the jury Friday in emotional testimony at the wrongful death trial of The Walking Dead stuntman. “It was the worst day of my life.”

During the opening week of the trial in Gwinnett County, Ga, attorneys for the plaintiff, Bernecker’s mom Susan, tried to convince the jury Bernecker’s death was preventable and the result of negligence on the part of the production. AMC’s legal team argued Bernecker’s death stemmed from human error on the stuntman’s part, saying he grasped the rail...

“Unfortunately, the evidence will show that John Bernecker made a mistake,” said AMC attorney David A. Dial this morning in opening arguments for the wrongful death trial over The Walking Dead stuntman who died more than two years ago after falling more than 20 feet on the Georgia set of the zombie apocalypse series.

“For reasons that no one can explain, he grasped the rail and held on,” the defense lawyer told Judge Emily Brantley and the jury in a full Gwinnett County courthouse Tuesday. “That purposeful action in hanging on is what took him away from the safety of the mat that he located,” Dial added, placing the blame for the fatal accident and expressing what looks already to be a key component of the cabler’s defense against the claims of Susan Bernecker and her son’s estate.

In what may be another pivotal part of the process, the Wheeler,...

In an effort to make stunt work safer, SAG-aftra will soon launch its Stunt Coordinator Eligibility Roster – a list of those who have successfully completed 500 verifiable days of work as a stunt performer or coordinator on a SAG-aftra production. The roster will be released in March 2020.

“Many changes have evolved in the motion picture industry specifically related to stunt activity,” the union said. “The evolution includes more complex and dangerous stunt activity as productions seek high volume action sequences often filmed in remote and environmentally hostile areas of the planet.”

In October 2018, the guild’s national board implemented a Stunt Coordinator Minimum General Standards Eligibility Process “to assure that those presenting themselves as stunt coordinators have met minimum standards in their craft.” The new roster will contain the names of those who have met those minimum standards.

“This process is intended to increase the safety for all performers and crew...

Georgia Judge Emily Brantley has now determined a jury will decide whether the AMC network bypassed safety precautions on the set of "The Walking Dead", July 2017, leading to the death of stunt performer John Bernecker:

In AMC's filing, the company's attorneys stated Bernecker assumed all risks associated with the stunt and therefore they were not liable for the accident that resulted in his passing.

"While his death is undoubtedly tragic, under controlling Georgia law, the affirmative defense of assumption of the risk bars Plaintiffs' claims against each of the Defendants because Bernecker, a professional stuntman, understood and appreciated the dangers and risks associated with the high fall and voluntarily attempted the stunt without coercion", the AMC attorneys wrote. "There is no evidence to support a finding that the AMC Defendants owed Bernecker a legal duty of any kind. The AMC Defendants did not have any relationship, contractual or otherwise,...

A federal judge in Georgia ruled that the wrongful death case brought by the family of The Walking Dead stuntman John Bernecker against AMC will go forward to trial.

Bernecker died in July 2017, two days after suffering massive head injuries in a fall of more than 20 feet from a balcony to a concrete floor while rehearsing a fight scene with an actor on the Georgia-based set of AMC’s flagship series. An airbag had been placed below him, but he missed it, striking his head on the ground.

Judge Emily Brantley earlier this week denied a summary judgment motion by AMC and set the trial to start December 9 in Gwinnett County, Ga. Brantley also denied the defendant’s request to exclude testimony by a stunt expert in the case. (Read the ruling here.)

“This was a tragic accident,” an AMC spokesperson said in a statement after Brantley’s ruling. “While...

A judge has ruled that the wrongful death lawsuit against AMC over the death of a stuntman on the set of “The Walking Dead” will go forward to trial in December.

In a ruling issued earlier this week, Judge Emily Brantley denied AMC’s motion to dismiss the case on the basis that it could not be held responsible for the 2017 death of John Bernecker because the stuntman had assumed responsibility for the stunt himself. The case is set to go to trial in Gwinnett County, Georgia on Dec. 9.

“This was a tragic accident,” AMC said in a statement. “While we continue to believe our motions for summary judgment were appropriate and supported by the facts in this case and the law, we respect the Court’s decision — without making any determination on the merits of either side’s arguments — to allow the case to proceed.”

Also Read: 'The Walking Dead...

A judge has rejected AMC Networks’ claim that it cannot be held responsible for the death of John Bernecker, a stuntman who fell to his death on the set of “The Walking Dead” in 2017.

Bernecker’s family filed suit in January 2018, alleging that the network cut corners on safety precautions. A trial is scheduled to be begin in state court in Gwinnett County, Ga., on Dec. 9.

In motions filed in August, attorneys for AMC argued that Bernecker was in control of the stunt, and directed the placement of pads that would cushion his fall. Bernecker flipped over a railing and fell 21 feet, just missing the pads. He landed on his head, and died the next day at a hospital. AMC argued that under Georgia law, Bernecker had assumed the risks of the fall, and therefore AMC could not be held liable.

“While his death is undoubtedly tragic, under controlling Georgia law,...

Stuntwoman Olivia Jackson is suing the producers of Resident Evil: The Final Chapter after suffering major, gruesome injuries in an on-set accident during production in September 2015. Jackson was serving as Milla Jovovich's stunt double on the most recent entry in the successful franchise at the time. The incident was so severe that Jackson's left arm had to be amputated.

According to a new report, Olivia Jackson is now suing Bolt Pictures, producers Tannhauser Gate and Jeremy Bolt, as well as director Paul W.S. Anderson for breach of contract. Per a claim that was recently filed, Jackson was led to believe any injuries she sustained during filming would be fully covered. However, the payout was only $33,000. The injuries have made it so Jackson will no longer be able to work as a stunt performer again, per the claim.

Warning: the following details of the incident are graphic. Olivia Jackson was...

Stuntman Joe Watts is on the road to recovery following a major on-set injury he suffered while filming Fast & Furious 9. Watts, a stunt performer with several years of experience on major blockbusters, sustained the injury last month after falling from an elevated set at Leavesden Studios in London while filming with the production's second unit. Now, per an update from his girlfriend Tilly Powell, Watts has been moved out of the ICU. Here's what she had to say in a statement.

"While Joe remains in hospital and there is still a long road ahead, he has been moved out of the ICU and doctors are pleased with his progress. We'd especially like to send an enormous thank-you to the air ambulance crew, all the fantastic doctors, nurses and staff at the Royal London Hospital who have provided amazing care to Joe. We have been overwhelmed by the incredible support from friends,...

A stuntman working on Fast & Furious 9 suffered a major injury while filming a scene in London, causing a temporary halt in production. Joe Watts was filming with the movie's second unit team at Leavesden Studios at the time of the injury. Watts has since been put in an induced coma. According to his fiance, Tilly Powell, Watts is now in stable condition, though the injury is considered serious.

Per several reports, Joe Watts fell from an elevated set that is said to have been approximately 20 feet off the ground. It's said that the incident took place when Watts jumped from a balcony attached to a safety wire. He was rushed to a nearby hospital and placed in a medically induced coma. Watts is an incredibly experienced stuntman, with an impressive list of credits that includes Mission: Impossible - Fallout, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Solo: A Star Wars Story,...

After John Bernecker passed away Thursday night, TheWrap took a look back at other stuntmen who died on set.

Kun Liu died in 2012 in an explosion on the set of “The Expendables 2” while filming in Bulgaria. His parents sued Millenium/Nu Image for wrongful death.

Lu Yanqing died in 2008 in a fire on set caused by two boats crashing into one another while making the movie “Red Cliff” in China.

Jose Marco died in 1969 while filming an underwater sequence in the film “Shark.” He was mauled to death by one of the sharks, which had been improperly sedated.

Jack Tyree died in 1981 while filming “The Sword and the Sorcerer.” While performing an 80-foot fall, Tyree missed the airbag below and died on impact.

Chris Lamon died in 2000 in Toronto while performing a stunt for the movie “Exit Wounds.” He hit his head when rolling out of an upside-down van...

Osha has slapped the producers of CBS’ MacGyver with a “serious citation” for an accident on its Atlanta set in August that seriously injured stunt coordinator Justin Sundquist. Its proposed penalty, however, is only $9,472.

Sundquist was injured when he fell off the back of a moving vehicle while performing a stunt he also was coordinating. His head injury was so serious that part of his skull had to be removed to relieve the pressure on his brain. Hospitalized for weeks, including several days in a coma, he’s still going through rehabilitation on his long road to recovery.

CBS’ Eye Productions was cited “for failing to protect employees from hazards while filming a television show,” Osha said in a statement that did not identify the name of the show. “Osha investigated the incident after a stuntman was injured while performing a stunt from a moving vehicle traveling approximately 18 mph. Osha...

David White, SAG-AFTRA’s national executive director, met Tuesday night with some 80 stunt performers to hear their concerns about safety, pensions and contract issues. Stuntwoman Jane Austin, who’s the union’s national secretary-treasurer and president of its Los Angeles local, also attended the meeting, which was held at the offices of Stunts Unlimited in Chatsworth, CA.

Safety is the chief concern of all stunt professionals – an issue that was highlighted when two stunt performers were killed on the job last year: Joi Harris on Deadpool 2 in Vancouver and John Bernecker on The Walking Dead in Atlanta.

One of the safety issues on last night’s agenda was a proposal that SAG-AFTRA should demand in the next round of contract talks that ambulances be required on set when major stunts are performed, and that emergency medical technicians should be required on set for all stunts, according to...

Louisa Mellor Oct 10, 2018

We scoured the disc commentaries and Blu-ray extras on The Walking Dead season 8 release for nerdy tidbits about the show. Spoilers ahead…

This article comes from Den of Geek UK. It contains spoilers.

The Walking Dead season eight Blu-ray disc set has comparatively fewer episode commentaries than usual – just three in total, for episodes three, four, and 16, all of which feature crew and no members of the cast. Perhaps the actors were too busy this year to sit in recording booths and reminisce about on-set pranks and how hot Atlanta gets in summer. Instead, former showrunner Scott Gimple is joined by writer Matt Negrete, director Dan Liu, and new showrunner Angela Kang to talk us through episode three, "Monsters," episode four, "Some Guy," and the season finale, "Wrath."

There are also three featurettes, one in memoriam of the characters who died during the season, one commemorating the life of Carl Grimes,...

The stunt coordinator on CBS’ “MacGyver” reboot suffered a serious injury on the show’s set in Atlanta, Variety has confirmed.

“We have learned about an injury to stunt coordinator Justin Sundquist that occurred late Monday on the set of ‘MacGyver’ in Atlanta,” CBS TV Studios said in a statement. “The production team is cooperating with the authorities investigating the accident, and our primary concern at this time is Justin’s health and well-being.”

According to sources, Sundquist suffered a head injury after he fell off of a moving vehicle. He was subsequently put into a medically-induced coma due to the nature of the injury and has remained hospitalized ever since.

Just last year, Sundquist sued CBS and CBS TV Studios due to another injury he suffered on the set of “Hawaii Five-o.” In that incident, Sundquist was struck by a moving vehicle while filming a scene involving a carjacking in a parking garage.

Exclusive: Justin Sundquist, who sued CBS Corp. and CBS TV Studios last year after being injured on the set of Hawaii Five-0, has sustained a serious head injury during a stunt on another CBS/CBS Studios series, MacGyver, which is shooting in Atlanta..

“We have learned about an injury to stunt coordinator Justin Sundquist that occurred late Monday on the set of MacGyver in Atlanta,” CBS TV Studio said in a statement to Deadline. “The production team is cooperating with the authorities investigating the accident, and our primary concern at this time is Justin’s health and well-being.”

A source tells Deadline that Sundquist was injured during a stunt that involved transferring from one vehicle to another. We hear he was conscious after the accident and was put in a medically induced coma because of the seriousness of his head injury. We hear that he remains hospitalized.

According to sources,...

Atlanta's stunt community, which was rocked last year by the death of stuntman John Bernecker on the set of The Walking Dead, is up in arms over veteran stuntwoman Jennifer Badger's allegation that leaders of the SAG-AFTRA local there are playing politics with safety. Badger, one of Atlanta's top stuntwomen and safety advocates, and a vocal critic of the local's elected leadership, has accused them of not reappointing her to the stunt and safety committee purely for…...

Atlanta's stunt community, which was rocked last year by the death of stuntman John Bernecker on the set of The Walking Dead, is up in arms over veteran stuntwoman Jennifer Badger's allegation that leaders of the SAG-AFTRA local there are playing politics with safety. Badger, one of Atlanta's top stuntwomen and safety advocates, and a vocal critic of the local's elected leadership, has accused them of not reappointing her to the stunt and safety committee purely for…...

Susan Bernecker, the mother of stuntman John Bernecker, has filed a wrongful death suit against AMC for the death of her son on July 12, 2017. John Bernecker died from his injuries after falling from a balcony during a stunt practice on the hit show The Walking Dead. Bernecker missed his landing cushion by “just […]

Source: uInterview

The post Mother Of ‘Walking Dead’ Stuntman John Bernecker Files Lawsuit Against AMC appeared first on uInterview.

Last summer, while filming the AMC zombie series The Walking Dead, 33-year-old John Bernecker fell to his death while performing a stunt. Now Susan Bernecker, the mother of the Walking Dead stuntman, has filed a lawsuit against AMC Networks, saying that they “orchestrated and enforced a pattern of filming and producing The Walking Dead cheaply and, ultimately, unsafely.” […]

The post AMC Hit With Lawsuit for Wrongful Death of a ‘Walking Dead’ Stuntman appeared first on /Film.

The mother of late actor and stuntman John Bernecker filed a wrongful death lawsuit recently in her bid to "seek justice" for her son, placing the blame on AMC for cutting back on budgets for safety precautions on set, according to the Associated Press.

"The production of Season 8 of The Walking Dead, like seasons before it, had an emphasis on keeping production budgets low and profits high," the lawsuit reads in part. "As part of this emphasis, the AMC Defendants pressured Stalwart Films to maintain unreasonably low budgets and expenses for episodes,...

The mother of stuntman John Bernecker, who fell to his death on the set of “The Walking Dead” in Georgia on July 12, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against AMC, saying the show’s low budget led to inadequate safety precautions and her 33-year-old son’s death. In the lawsuit filed Tuesday by Susan Bernecker in Gwinnett County State Court obtained by TheWrap, she says AMC Networks Inc, “orchestrated and enforced a pattern of filming and producing ‘The Walking Dead’ cheaply and, ultimately, unsafely.” Bernecker says the show’s network pressured Stalwart Films, the production company, to cut corners on safety measures in...

Updated with more details of lawsuit: More than six months after The Walking Dead stuntman John Bernecker was killed on the Atlanta set of the AMC blockbuster series, his mother has followed through on her promise to “seek justice” with a wrongful-death lawsuit that puts the blame on AMC for allegedly doing things on the cheap.

“The production of Season 8 of The Walking Dead, like seasons before it, had an emphasis on keeping production budgets low and profits high,” the filing asserts, repeatedly.

“The Stewart Film defendants’ numerous failures to take reasonable safety precautions were the direct result of the policies, pressure, and decisions from the AMC Defendants to produce The Walking Dead for minimum cost and maximum profit,” says the jury-seeking suit that lawyers for Susan Bernecker and her son’s estate filed late Tuesday in Georgia state court (read it here).

“As the ultimate decision-makers for The Walking Dead production,...

Updated with more details of lawsuit: More than six months after The Walking Dead stuntman John Bernecker was killed on the Atlanta set of the AMC blockbuster series, his mother has followed through on her promise to "seek justice" with a wrongful-death lawsuit that puts the blame on AMC for allegedly doing things on the cheap. "The production of Season 8 of The Walking Dead, like seasons before it, had an emphasis on keeping production budgets low and profits high," the…...

In July, stunt performer John Bernecker died after falling from a balcony during a stunt gone wrong

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In July, stunt performer John Bernecker died after falling from a balcony during a stunt gone wrong on the set of The Walking Dead. On Monday, Bernecker's mother Susannah Bernecker gave her first interview since her son's death after the Occupational Safety and Health Association's ruling against

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Susan Bernecker, mother of stuntman John Bernecker, who died last July during a high-fall accident on the set of “The Walking Dead,” is calling out the unsafe set conditions in Hollywood that led to her son’s death. “People are afraid to speak out because they’re afraid they’ll never work again or that they’ll be looked down upon,” said Bernecker in an interview with Deadline. Comparing the culture of silence around safety issues to the “open secret” of sexual misconduct, she said: “If you take out the word ‘sex’ and put in ‘safety,’ it’s the same thing.”

Read More:‘The Walking Dead’ Stuntman Dies From Head Injury After On Set Accident

Worse, she added, is that stunt women are doubly affected: “Stunt women have told me about being put in sexual harassment positions to get a job. I had two girls tell me about that in the last year.

Susan Bernecker, the mother of stuntman John Bernecker, who was killed last July in a high-fall accident on the Georgia set of The Walking Dead, says that over the last 10 years she heard him and his friends talking about unsafe conditions in the film and television industry "all the time." "I'm friends with 50 or 60 stunt people," she told Deadline in an exclusive interview. "They're like my adopted children, and I heard this all the time." And when the Harvey Weinstein…...

Susan Bernecker, the mother of stuntman John Bernecker, who was killed last July in a high-fall accident on the Georgia set of The Walking Dead, says that over the last 10 years she heard him and his friends talking about unsafe conditions in the film and television industry "all the time." "I'm friends with 50 or 60 stunt people," she told Deadline in an exclusive interview. "They're like my adopted children, and I heard this all the time." And when the Harvey Weinstein…...

Further to the accidental death of stunt performer John Bernecker, on the Senoia, Georgia set of "The Walking Dead" July 12, 2017, the Us Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a division of the Us Department of Labor, has imposed a fine on Stalwart Films LLC, the company that produces the show:

"This tragedy should serve as a wake-up call for the entertainment industry", said Osha. "The entire industry needs to commit to safety practices for actors and stunt people involved in this type of work".

"...Bernecker, a seasoned stunt performer on more than 60 films including the upcoming 'Black Panther', died two days after suffering head injuries in a fall of more than 20 feet from a balcony to a concrete floor while rehearsing a fight scene with an actor. An airbag had been placed below him, but he missed it, striking his head on the ground..."

"This was a tragic and terrible accident", said Stalwart Films.

Back in the summer, John Bernecker, a 33-year-old stunt performer and fight choreographer, died after suffering a serious head injury due to an accident on the set of The Walking Dead in Atlanta.

The incident occurred when Bernecker was practicing a fight scene and lost his footing, causing him to fall off a balcony that was more than 20 feet high and onto a concrete floor. He was then transported to Atlanta Medical Center via helicopter where he was reportedly placed on a ventilator. The decision to remove him from life support was made shortly after and the official cause of death given by Coweta County Coroner Richard Hawk was the blunt force trauma he suffered in the fall.

Bernecker was one of the most prolific stunt performers in the business, with over 100 credits to his name in the past seven years, including The Hunger Games, Logan and the upcoming Marvel movie Black Panther.

The production company behind “The Walking Dead,” Stalwart Films LLC, has been hit with the maximum fine from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Osha) for the death of stuntman John Bernecker last year. The Osha issued a “serious citation” and proposed the maximum amount of penalties — $12,675 — “for the company’s failure to provide adequate protection from fall hazards.” “This tragedy should serve as a wake-up call for the entertainment industry,” Osha Atlanta Regional Administrator Kurt Petermeyer said in a press release Friday. “The entire industry needs to commit to safety practices for actors and stunt people.

Updated with production company statement: In the wake of July's death of stuntman John Bernecker on the Georgia set of The Walking Dead, Osha has imposed the maximum allowable fine – $12,675 – on the company that produces the show. "This tragedy should serve as a wake-up call for the entertainment industry," said Osha Atlanta regional administrator Kurt Petermeyer. "The entire industry needs to commit to safety practices for actors and stunt people involved in this type…...

“The Walking Dead” returned to AMC last night — and it looks like we’re in for a (particularly) gory season. The 45-second Season 8 preview opens with a bloody and muddy Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) going at it alone up the road. From there, all your (still-alive) favorites show their faces. In his camp, Ezekiel (Khary Payton) promises at least three victories and no dead troops. But others have the same idea. Also Read: 'The Walking Dead' Premiere Pays Tribute to Stuntman John Bernecker and George Romero “We need to win it all,” Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) closes the video with a vow.

The premiere of “The Walking Dead” Season 8 ends with a memorial dedication to two people close to the show: Stuntman John Bernecker and Director George Romero. Bernecker worked on “The Walking Dead” Season 8, and died accidentally during filming this summer. He fell 25 feet from a balcony and narrowly missed a safety cushion, according to police. “The Walking Dead” also owes a lot to Romero, the other person to whom the premiere episode is dedicated. Romero didn’t work on the show, but the famed director’s movies did lay the groundwork for the show. He died in July after a.

The Walking Dead's Season 8 premiere/hundredth episode will end with dedications to two men: John Bernecker and George Romero.

Bernecker was a stuntman who died July 13 after an onset accident while filming The Walking Dead. Bernecker was working on a stunt that went wrong and he hit his head...

Josh Brolin has recently opened up about the accident that resulted in the death of stuntwoman, Joi "Sj" Harris on the set of Deadpool 2 in Vancouver, calling it a "freak accident." Filming recently wrapped on the highly anticipated sequel, which has left time for the cast and crew to reflect on the death of Harris over the summer. Harris was performing a stunt for Zazie Beetz's character, Domino, when she crashed into a sidewalk curb and was propelled through a glass window at Shaw Tower. British Columbia's worker's compensation board, WorkSafeBC, described it as a freak accident after a thorough investigation.

Josh Brolin, who plays Cable in Deadpool 2, opened up about the accident while promoting his new movie Only the Brave. Brolin addressed the death of Joi Harris while talking with Associated Press via Entertainment Weekly. He said, "we had somebody pass away on Deadpool 2 and...

Back in July, stunt performer and actor John Bernecker died in a tragic accident on the set of The Walking Dead in Atlanta. While practicing a stunt for the upcoming eighth season of the AMC zombie drama, Bernecker missed his mark and fell from a 20 foot balcony. Though he was rushed to a local hospital, doctors were unable to save his life. Production of The Walking Dead was then suspended for a week in respect of Bernecker’s passing.

Now, he’s about to be honored again on a much larger platform at this Sunday’s Emmy Awards ceremony. His mother, Susan Sherlock-Bernecker, will be attending the presentation and told Wwltv.com that the overwhelming support from such a wide range of people has helped her through this difficult time.

“I’ve cried so much in the last two months that’s why I am not breaking out now, because it’s like,...