Work Safely

For the first time in the history of American entertainment, a Hollywood film director has been incarcerated for an on-set death. The tragic incident while shooting the abortive Allman brothers film biography, "Midnight Rider" resulted in the death of a 27 year-old camera assistant and several injuries suffered by other crew members. The details of the case are disturbing, as the prosecution has argued that the crew was recklessly attempting to film a scene on some railroad tracks without proper permission, and with obviously incorrect information regarding train schedules.

As the offices of a top LA accident lawyer, we hope that the plea deal that resulted in director Randall Miller's jailing will be a wake-up call that will send a message not only to those in the entertainment business, but to all employers. A personal injury or death can happen in any work situation, though some are obviously more dangerous than others.

Regardless, it is nevertheless incumbent upon supervisors to ensure that employees are not placed in harm's way. The entertainment business is notorious for sometimes pressuring employees in such a way that might encourage them to behave recklessly. However, employers and supervisors need to realize that, if they want to avoid having to deal with an aggressive civil or even criminal attorney in Los Angeles, they need to keep safety top of mind. It's often a matter of life and death, not only for individuals, but for careers.