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Jury Award in 'Walking Dead' Stuntman Fatality Suit

By Greg Land and Katheryn Hayes Tucker
February 01, 2020

A Gwinnett County, GA, jury awarded $8.6 million to the family of a stuntman killed during the production of a Walking Dead TV-series episode in 2017. Bernecker v. Stalwart Films LLC, 18-C-00435-1.

Lawyers for defendants AMC Networks and production company Stalwart Films had argued that John Bernecker's death in a fall from a balcony during a staged fight was an unforeseen accident that happened when the trained stuntman missed a landing pad 25 feet below. The accident happened on location in Senoia in Coweta County, GA.

Bernecker's parents, Susan and Hagen Bernecker, sued AMC, Stalwart and several other defendants involved in the show's production, claiming they skimped on safety measures for financial and scheduling concerns.

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