The mother of a stuntman who died on set of The Walking Dead has sued AMC, the production company behind the show, and several cast members, alleging that AMC prioritized saving money over safety. John Bernecker died in July of last year after falling from a height of 22 feet head-first onto a concrete floor while filming a scene for The Walking Dead in Senoia, Georgia. He was 33 years old.
Earlier this month, Stalwart Films, the production company behind the TV show, was slapped with the maximum fine possible by the U.S. Department of Labor. Today, Variety reports that Susan Bernecker, the stuntman’s mother, claims AMC did not rehearse the scene, did not have an ambulance on site, and did not provide adequate cushioning beneath the 22-foot balcony that Bernecker fell down.
The stunt required Bernecker to fall and land into a safety cushion below the balcony, but he fell on his head and neck on the concrete floor. According to initial reports, an on-site medic rushed to his aid, and Bernecker was eventually airlifted to a nearby medical center.
The lawsuit provides further details of how the stunt should have been performed. Austion Amelio, the actor who was in the scene on the balcony with Bernecker, was supposed to shoot the stuntman and push him off the balcony, but not actually touch him. However, Amelio allegedly grabbed some of Bernecker’s clothing, affecting the trajectory of his fall. The suit places blame on the producers for allowing Amelio to do the scene rather than replacing him with another qualified stunt performer.
“The AMC defendants orchestrated and enforced a pattern of filming and producing The Walking Dead cheaply and ultimately unsafely,” the lawsuit alleges. “As part of this emphasis, the AMC defendants pressured Stalwart Films to maintain unreasonably low budgets and expenses for episodes, including the budget allotted to stunts. Accordingly, the production of The Walking Dead repeatedly cut corners on safety precautions.”
The lawsuit names many people defendants, including: AMC; Stalwart Films; Monty Simons, the stunt coordinator; Larry Teng, the director of the episode; Tom Luse, the unit production manager; Jeffrey January, the first assistant director; Matthew Goodwin, the second assistant director; and Austin Amelio, the actor who was with Bernecker on the balcony.
“Our thoughts and prayers are and have been with John Bernecker, his family, friends, and everyone touched by this tragic accident since the moment it occurred,” AMC responded in a statement. “We take the safety of our employees on all of our sets extremely seriously, and meet or exceed industry safety standards. Out of respect for the family, we will have no further comment on this litigation.”
