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Fast & Furious Producers Face $1 Million Fine for Stuntman’s Injuries

The producers Fast & Furious franchise has been charged over $1 million in a UK court following a stunt double’s “life changing” accident while filming. By: Dylan Low

FF9 Pictures Limited, a branch by Universal Pictures, received the fine after claiming responsibility for violating the UK’s Health and Safety at Work Act last week at Luton Magistrates Court outside London.

Stunt performer Joe Watts, who featured in mainstream films such as Pokemon: Detective Pikachu and Solo: A Star Wars Story, suffered severe injuries in 2019 when a stunt went wrong and he crashed 25 feet into the concrete ground.

Watts sustained a fractured skull and traumatic brain injury which has had a long-term effect on his impairment. An investigation afterwards discovered the line on his stunt vest had become disconnected.

The Health and Safety Executive, who was in charge of the prosecution, stated FF9 Pictures did not talk about the chances of a “rope snap or link failure” during the initial risk assessment and state other deficiencies like a lack of inspection of Watts’ harness in six months and failing to lengthen crash matting after changing event sequences.

“Mr Watts’ injuries were life-changing and he could have easily been killed,” highlighted HSE inspector Roxanne Barker. “In stunt work, it is not about preventing a fall but minimising the risk of an injury.”

Hearing the case, District Judge Talwinder Buttar fined the company £800,000, which is around $1 million, declaring Watts was “fortunate to be alive” following the accident that happened at Warner Brothers Studios in Leavesden.

FF9 were also instructed to pay $18,600 in costs, as Watts looked to sue the company for up to $1.2 million for his personal injury. “He will not be able to return to his pre-accident employment as a stunt man,” his lawsuit mentioned. “If he is able to work, he will suffer a permanent handicap on the labour market.”

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