In 2016, actress Taylor Hickson suffered a disfiguring facial injury during an accident while filming Ghostland in Winnipeg, Canada. Now, the performer, who had just turned 19 at the time of the incident, is suing the film’s production company, alleging that the accident was “reasonably foreseeable” and caused by negligence on the part of the movie’s producers.
Hickson alleges that Incident Productions is responsible for an incident which occurred on set while filming Ghostland two years ago. Deadline reports that Hickson’s head and upper body fell through a glass door during a scene which required her to repeatedly bang on a glass door (Warning: the Deadline link above features graphic photos of Hickson’s facial injury). The resulting wound required 70 stitches. Hickson alleges in her lawsuit that she had reservations about performing the scene, but she was repeatedly assured that it was safe for her to do so:
“In the course of shooting the scene, the director [Pascal Laugier], consistently told [Hickson] to pound harder on the glass with her fists,” the suit states. “At one point during the filming of the scene, and after being asked to increase the strength with which [she] pounded on the glass, [she] asked one of the producers and the director if it was safe to do so. That producer and the director both replied in the affirmative.”
One of Hickson’s major allegations is that the production company failed to follow industry standards, which include safety glass and stunt doubles for such a scene:
“It is an industry standard within the movie industry that, when shooting a scene such as the scene described herein, either safety glass be used which would, upon shattering, break into pieces which would not result in sharp shards on which an actor could be cut, and/or that a stunt double be used for such a scene. Neither occurred in this case.”
Hickson previously appeared in Deadpool before her injury, and her lawsuit alleges that, “as a result of the injury, she has lost income [during] the period of time she was unable to act while she recovered from her injury.” Beyond her lost income, Hickson is unsure whether the scarring to her face can ever be reduced:
“She has since undergone treatment including laser treatment and silicone treatment, but over one year post-incident, has been left with permanent scarring on the left side of her face,” the suit states. “It is unknown at this time if any further treatment, including plastic surgery, would reduce the visual appearance of the injury.”
Ghostland is set to premiere in Paris on March 14th, 2018. Hickson will not be attending the premiere. Ironically, the poster artwork for the film features Hickson’s face with cracked porcelain-like markings throughout. Stay tuned to Horror News Network for more details on this case as they break.
