Fast & Furious 9 creators sued for $1million in ‘health and safety’ lawsuit

Fast & Furious 9 filmmakers were rewarded hefty lawsuit fine to pay.

The makers of Fast & Furious were fined £800,000 ($1 million) when one of their stuntmen had a fall during filming and sustained brain damage.

During the July 2019 Fast & Furious 9: The Fast Saga filming at Warner Bros. studios in Hertfordshire, UK, stuntman Joe Watts fell eight metres onto concrete and landed on his head, breaking his skull.

According to the BBC, a judge told Watts that he was "lucky to be alive" after learning that his safety line had come loose during a practised but altered feat.

The safety line was not examined in between takes, the court was informed. At the Luton Magistrates Court, District Judge Talwinder Buttar expressed disapproval for the "last-minute" decision to change the stunt, stating that the matting underneath should have been adjusted as well.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), who filed the prosecution, described Watts' injuries as "life-changing" and stated that "in stunt work, it is not about preventing a fall but minimising the risk of an injury."

Friday in court, FF9 Pictures acknowledged breaches related to health and safety and agreed to pay the amount.

The BBC claims that Watts had contributed to numerous high-profile projects before his accident, such as Johnny English Strikes Again, Game of Thrones, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and Kingsman: The Golden Circle.