Alec Baldwin’s accidental shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the western “Rust” is only the most recent in a troubling trend of fatal injuries that have plagued the movie industry for years. Members of this industry should not be sustaining injuries or death for the sake of entertainment.
Losing a loved one is life shattering. The tragedy swells if it is unexpected, and when a death occurs due to workplace negligence, it is heartbreaking because it is usually preventable. The death claim attorneys in Los Angeles, CA at the Law Offices of Kropach & Kropach are here for those going through challenging times.
A review of reported data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) shows at least 19 fatal injuries happening on film sets nationwide from 2010 to 2019 (the most recent data). Since 1990, at least 47 fatalities, 180 hospitalizations, and more than 250 film overall production accidents have occurred.
All serious injuries and deaths should be reported to OSHA, the agency that tracks workplace accidents in the United States. OSHA’s categorizations are often unclear because their inspections of on-set accidents resulting in injuries and death are documented as “other.”
Because dangerous stunts are often replaced by digital effects and improved safety protocols over the years, fatalities and serious accidents have become rarer, reducing to none in 2003. But recently increased production for streaming services has accounted for the industry struggling to maintain its safety record.
The recent deadly incident on the set of “Rust” has renewed scrutiny over unsafe practices, including:
Compared with other industries, film sets remain relatively safe. According to 2019’s U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the fatal work injury rate for all industries was 3.5 fatalities per 100,000 full-time workers while the film production industry has a rate of 0.9 fatalities per 100,000 full-time workers during the last decade. The rate of injury and illness was also lower than the average across all industries in the country.
Incidents in the film and TV industry tend to be more high-profile cases, so when fatalities increase over a decade, they receive more attention, and the complaints have louder voices.
Most on-set incidents occur in California, most often in the Los Angeles area. Falling from elevated areas is the most common cause of accidents involving workers.
Nothing can take the place of a lost loved one. While dealing with grief, no one wants to talk about dependent death benefits due to a wrongful death at work, but death in the workplace happens far too often. Families can find themselves stuck in financial turmoil.
If you have lost a loved one in a workplace accident, the Los Angeles death claim attorneys at the Law Offices of Kropach & Kropach can put a claim in motion and work to recover the proper compensation for your loss.
Contact us for a free consultation by clicking here or calling us at 818-609-7005.
