A stunt actress for Resident Evil: The Final Chapter who suffered an on-set injury that left her in a coma for 17 days and resulted in an arm amputation has claimed a legal victory in her lawsuit against the movie’s producers.
A South African court has ruled that the stunt that Olivia Jackson performed during the accident was “negligently planned and executed” by the production company, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Additionally, the judge tossed out a claim against Jackson that said her motorcycle riding skills were at least partially to blame for the accident, according to the report. Further terms of the case were not disclosed.
Jackson suffered her horrific injuries when she was standing in for Resident Evil movie star Milla Jovovich for a 2015 shoot in Cape Town, South Africa. She was riding a motorcycle in the stunt gone wrong, crashing into a camera vehicle that was driving in the other direction. Jackson endured serious injuries that also included brain bleeding, brain swelling, and broken ribs, and was in a coma for 17 days before waking up to realize the extent of her life-changing injuries.
“I miss my old face. I miss my old body. I miss my old life. At least I now finally have a court judgment that proves this stunt was badly planned and that it was not my fault,” Jackson said about the ruling.
Her lawyers also released a statement on the judgement.
“Action movies that require people to carry out dangerous stunts should always be very carefully planned and performed. They should also be backed by insurance that can meet the very significant life-long losses that could be incurred by any member of the cast and crew who is seriously injured,” a partner at the law firm Stewarts said. “This judgment is an important recognition that stunt performers are not themselves inherently responsible, nor willing but disposable volunteers when something goes wrong. Like all workers they are owed a duty of care by those responsible for the safest possible performance of the stunt.”
In addition to Resident Evil, Jackson did stuntwork for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1, Mad Max: Fury Road, and Avengers: Age of Ultron.
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.
