Earlier today, a jury in the State Court of Gwinnett County in Atlanta returned an $8.6 million verdict against Stalwart Films, LLC; TWD Productions VII, LLC and other defendants, following a seven-day trial focusing on the wrongful death of 33-year-old stunt actor John Bernecker. Bernecker died after a July 2017 scripted high fall from a balcony on the set of “The Walking Dead” season 8 in Senoia, Ga.

Harris Lowry Manton LLP partner Jeff Harris – who served as the lead trial attorney representing Susan Bernecker, the mother of John Bernecker – issued the following statement after the jury returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiff:

“John was a remarkably talented stunt professional who had an incredibly bright future in the film industry. My sincere hope is this verdict sends a clear message regarding the need to both elevate and strictly adhere to industry safety standards every day, on every shoot, on every film set. John’s tragic and preventable death happened as a result of a series of safety-related failures. Learning from these failures will go a long way in making sure that similar tragedies do not happen to another performer or another family.”

Born in New Orleans, La., in 1984, John Bernecker was an accomplished stunt performer with nearly 100 film credits over the course of his career. He was recently honored at the 2018 Television Emmy Awards and nominated in both television and film performances at the 2018 SAG Awards. He was known for his stunt work on major productions like Ninja Turtles 1 & 2 (2014-2016), 22 Jump Street (2014), Logan (2017) and Fantastic Four (2015). He also acted in several films, including Black Panther (2018) and played the Werewolf in Goosebumps (2015). 

ABOUT HARRIS LOWRY MANTON LLP:

Honored by the Georgia Legal Awards as the 2019 Litigation Department of the Year – Small Firm, Harris Lowry Manton LLP is a full-service trial law firm with offices in Atlanta and Savannah. The firm unites three accomplished partners — Jeff Harris, Steve Lowry and Jed Manton — who are known for securing major verdicts and settlements for clients in complex personal injury, product liability and wrongful death cases. Harris Lowry Manton LLP has been recognized by the Daily Report Top Verdicts and Settlements for six #1 verdicts across six categories and features attorneys who have been recognized by leading rating associations, bar associations and other organizations as some of the top trial lawyers in the United States. For more information, visit hlmlawfirm.com.