Judge dismisses case of extra injured on set of Will Smith movie
James Walker Jr., a background actor for Will Smith’s “Emancipation,” was struck in the face by a cable-suspended camera during filming, and he filed a lawsuit against the studio, alleging that the defendants in the case—Apple Studios Louisiana, director Antoine Fuqua, and the crew—were in charge of supervising the setup, filming, and production of the film. Walker further claims that Fuqua directed the sequence of activities on the set that resulted in the dangerous use of the suspended camera system.
A federal judge has dismissed the case filed by the extra after a worker was hurt on set during a movie shoot in Louisiana.
Walker’s attorneys claim that the production staff were negligent for not properly training their employees and for choosing to operate the camera in an unsafe manner despite knowing it could cause injury to cast members. Attorneys representing the filmmakers and studios had the case moved to the Middle District of Louisiana and filed to have the claims dismissed, arguing that Walker failed to specify:
Walker and his attorneys argued that they provided detailed facts regarding the improper training of employees, the failure of the defendants to ensure workplace safety, and the unsafe operation of the camera. However, U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick disagreed, stating that Walker’s negligence claims are barred by the Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Act and that he did not provide sufficient facts to support the plausibility of his claims. As a result, the case was dismissed with prejudice.
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The defendants named in the case included Apple Studios Louisiana LLC, Entertainment Partners LLC, Escape Artists Productions LLC, Fuqua Films Inc., Antoine Fuqua, Westbrook Studios LLC, Robert Bridge Richardson, Spydercam Inc., and Jeffrey J. Danshaw.
Judge dismisses case of extra injured on set of Will Smith movie
