As the ancient fable of Hans Christian Anderson has been brought to the modern-day stage, one of the production crew of the musical adaptation of “The Little Mermaid” has encountered tragedy. Cast and crew members of the Broadway show, now playing at the Lunt Fontaine Theater, recently have alleged that a production set injury was caused by a technical malfunction. The incident allegedly left one crew member with a broken bone and nerve damage.
The unnamed victim, who is a rigger involved in the installation of the production’s sets, reportedly suffered serious injuries while operating the technical equipment. According to the complaint, the victim was told to use a 15-foot ladder to adjust the height of the set pieces. During the process, the ladder reportedly slipped out from under the victim, causing him to fall to the floor resulting in broken bones and nerve damage. Consequently, the victim was unable to go back to work.
The producers of the musical, the Roundabout Theatre Company and Disney Theatrical Productions, are now being sued for the victim’s damages.The complaint states that while the victim was warned to be careful while on the job, the producers did not take the necessary safety measures to provide the necessary safeguards to ensure the victim’s safety.
The lawsuit has been filed in the Manhattan Supreme Court, claiming that the victim suffered “career ending” injuries as a result of the incident. It also seeks to compensate the victim for physical and psychological damages beyond the limits of worker’s compensation.
The victim’s attorney, Hal Nemerov, stated that “this is a tragic set of circumstances and, as a result of today’s incident, our client will be unable to pursue his career of choice. He has suffered, and will suffer into the foreseeable future, serious physical and psychological damage as a consequence of his injuries. Our client is simply seeking what is fair and just under the circumstances.”
The incident is a reminder of the need for all production companies to ensure the safety of their crew members and to think of safety first in order to prevent any unwanted injuries from occurring. It is to be hoped that the victim will recieve the justice that he deserves and that this incident will serve as a lesson to all other producers to properly prioritize safety.
