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Film studio accepts blame for Harrison Ford’s broken leg on set

| Aug 5, 2016 | Employee Rights |

Fans of the popular Star Wars film series rejoiced around the world when they learned that following the purchase of LucasFilms, Inc. by Disney, that Disney would be continuing the saga with a new trilogy as well as additional films and shows to accompany the franchise. And, fans were elated when they learned that among the cast for the first of the new films, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” that much of the cast from the original series, including Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and legendary actor Harrison Ford, reprising his role as Han Solo, were to appear in the film.

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” was exceptionally well received by fans and critics alike, and achieved worldwide success following its release late last year. But, it wasn’t always easy for cast and crew during filming, evident by Harrison Ford’s accident on set which left him with a broken leg. According to reports, during filming, his leg was trapped by a quickly moving metal framed door. The powerful door crushed Ford’s leg with the weight of a small car, said Health and Safety Executive, an agency that handles workplace safety.

Foodles Productions, a company owned by Disney, pleaded guilty to two charges for “failing to protect actors and workers from a ‘foreseeable incident’.” It was determined that the safety violation put Ford in a dangerous situation, which ultimately led to the workplace injury.

It is an employee’s right to have the person’s company take proactive steps to assure a safe working environment for their employees. For workers who are injured on the job, they may be entitled to not only workers’ compensation, but possibly additional settlements for pain and suffering due to neglect by their company.

Source: FOX 8, “Disney-owned film studio claims responsibility for Harrison Ford’s broken leg,” July 26, 2016