'The Walking Dead' Hit With Wrongful Death Lawsuit

The mother of The Walking Dead's 33-year-old stuntman John Bernecker who passed away after an [...]

By Brandon Davis

The mother of The Walking Dead's 33-year-old stuntman John Bernecker who passed away after an accident on set has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against AMC and other parties.

Bernecker passed away on July 12, 2017 after suffering injuries in a fall estimated to have been about 22 feet on The Walking Dead's set in Senoia, Georgia. The lawsuit filed on Tuesday by Susan Bernecker in Gwinnet Country State Court names AMC Newtorks Inc., The Walking Dead's production company Stalwart Films and others.

The lawsuit claims AMC "orchestrated and enforced a pattern of filming and producing The Walking Dead cheaply and, ultimately, unsafely," THR Reports. It goes on to claim AMC pressured the production company to keep budgets in unreasonably low places which prompted Stalwart to cut corners on safety measures.

"John passed away this week, after he was injured doing something he loved: helping tell stories that excite, entertain, and give people an escape," showrunner Scott Gimple said at San Diego Comic Con. "He helped make movies and shows for people like everybody in this room. John was someone beloved in the stunt community; someone who trained other people and helped them break into the business. He was living his dream, and he helped other people do the same thing. We didn't really know if we should do this panel today, but we wanted to be here for you. And we wanted to tell you about John, and we wanted to show you what we've all been working on."

Born in New Orleans, Bernecker had a lengthy resume with various film and television projects. His IMDb page lists over 100 credits dating all the way back to 2009. Aside from The Walking Dead, Bernecker has worked on projects like 24: Legacy, The Fate of the Furious, The Hunger Games franchise, and more.

The Walking Dead returns for the second half of its eighth season on February 25, 2018. Fear the Walking Dead will debut its fourth season after The Walking Dead concludes its eighth, at 10 pm ET on April 15. For complete coverage and insider info all year long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.

Trending Now: