Back in September 2015, the production of Resident Evil: The Final Chapter was marred by a serious accident involving stunt performer Olivia Jackson. The accident left Jackson in a medically-induced coma, and ultimately led to her arm being amputated. It has now been reported that Jackson is suing the producers of the movie.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jackson is suing on the grounds that the producers put “financial considerations over safety.” Her complaints states that the accident occurred during a motorcycle scene that she was asked to perform at very short notice. Jackson describes it as a “dangerous and technically complex motorcycle scene in adverse weather,” and explains that she collided with a camera crane that was not lifted out of her way in time.
Jackson’s complaint states that the collision resulted in the camera “slicing through the bone of her forearm and tearing the flesh off her cheek, leaving her teeth exposed.” It goes on to detail further injuries that resulted in the amputation of her left arm.
Jackson alleges that the producers misled her about her insurance coverage for performing in the movie, which she believed would cover any accidents. She now says that she subsequently discovered that there was no liability for her claim and producers only paid out $33,000 in damages. In addition, she states that while she was in a coma, her husband was told that producers would pay for all medical care and rehabilitation, but that offer was subsequently withdrawn.
THR states that Jackson is suing Bolt Pictures, Tannhauser Gate, Jeremy Bolt and Paul WS Anderson, who was also the movie’s director, for breach of contract and misrepresentation, and is seeking unspecified damages. The defendants have not commented on the issue.
In October 2015, Jackson made a Facebook post that detailed the extent of her injuries, which included “brain bleed[ing], brain swelling, severed main artery in the neck, crushed and degloved face, several broken ribs, paralyzed arm, shattered scapula, broken clavicle, broken humerus, broken radius and ulna, with an open wound and a 7.5 piece of bone missing, [and an] amputated thumb.” In an interview she stated: “My facial scarring is horrible and I wish I had my old face. But I’m truly grateful to be alive.”
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter was released in January 2017, and was the most successful movie in the series to date, making $312.2 million worldwide. In total the series, which kicked off in 2002, has made more than $1.2 billion worldwide.
