Game of Thrones stunt woman sues over leg injury
A stunt woman from Game of Thrones is suing the hit show’s creators for £4 million after she suffered career-ending injuries while jumping from a rooftop dressed as a zombie.
Casey Michaels, 32, of Winkfield, Berks, said she sustained a serious leg injury during filming for the eighth season of the HBO show in Northern Ireland, blaming an unsafe landing area for the incident.
Ms Michaels, who has also performed as a stunt double in several Star Wars films and been a body double for Hollywood stars including Catherine Zetajones and Renée Zellweger, said her injuries ended her career as a stunt woman and her ambitions to become a stunt coordinator and director.
She had made numerous previous stunt appearances in Game of Thrones, a series based on George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels, before her injury four years ago.
Ms Michaels said she hurt her leg after jumping off a rooftop as part of the “White Walkers” undead army, and is suing Fire and Blood Productions for more than £4million. She claimed the stunt’s landing area was unsafe, and her injury caused a loss of future earnings.
However, the legal team for Fire and Blood deny any blame and are fighting her claim at London’s High Court.
Lawyers for Ms Michaels say her accident occurred on Feb 5 2018, “during the course of the claimant’s employment as a stunt performer by the defendant production company during the filming of Game of Thrones season eight, near Belfast, Northern Ireland”.
At a pre-trial hearing at the High Court, judge Master Richard Davison was told that Ms Michaels claims the area she leapt onto had not been safe for her to land on.
Jonathan Bellamy, for Fire and Blood, said it is denying liability and contesting the claim’s size. He said the future “employment prospects of the claimant as injured” is a particular area in dispute.
The case will return to the High Court at a later date.