Movie Extras And Personal Injuries: Can You Sue?
Choosing to earn money as a movie extra can be a really fun and exciting activity. However, it is not without its risks. If you are accidentally injured on the set, you are faced with some difficult choices. You could sit this movie out if you have already appeared in footage, you could be an extra on future movies, or you could risk everything suing the film production company. It could be that you cannot sue them, too, in which case, you need to talk to a personal injury attorney. Here are some of the risks and reasons to sue or not sue as an injured movie extra.
Signing an Injury Waiver
Some film production companies ask extras to sign injury waiver forms before they can be in the movie(s). It is not that these companies are attempting to shirk responsibility for what happens to extras on the set. Rather, it is to protect the film company from false claims, manufactured injuries, and lawsuits. It does not always work, but it is an effective approach at curbing extras who may have fraudulent intentions.
If you signed such a waiver and you are seriously and accidentally injured on the set, you could try to sue. However, you will probably be unsuccessful because of the waiver. Be sure to show your copy of the waiver to a lawyer to determine if you even have a reasonable chance at a successful lawsuit. Additionally, you should weigh the risks of such a lawsuit.
The Risks of Suing
If you sue a film production company as an extra, you could be throwing away all future opportunities to be in the movies. The company you sue would never rehire you, and other production companies could hear about it and be reluctant to hire you for fear of something happening and getting them entangled in a lawsuit.
There is also the possibility of your scene being cut from the film entirely as a means of sending a message. While you may be willing to accept that, the rest of the movie extras in the scene with you may be very angry about not being in the movie after all. They may not appreciate your efforts to seek compensation for your injuries, which could really sour things between you and them. You also have to remember that you are attempting to sue a film production company, which may have a large legal team/firm backing it, which is almost always a good indicator of impending loss.
For more information, speak with an attorney from a local firm like Maruca Law.
Share