NEWS: Disney fined $36,000 for Marvel series crew death

Disney has been fined for the death of a crew member on the set of a Marvel production.

In 2022, the live-action Miracle Man The series was first announced as a series in development. The Disney+ series stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as the titular superhero, also known as Simon Williams. Simon is the son of an industrialist who takes control of his father's company, which competes with Tony Stark's Stark Industries.

On February 6, 2024, lighting technician Juan Carlos Osorio died in a fall while working on the set of Miracle Man. Production had been delayed due to the writers' strike in 2023, so the series was not being filmed at the time of the incident.

Osorio, 41, was collecting and removing lighting cable equipment high up on Stage 3 at the Radford Studio Center in Studio City when the portion of the runway he was working on suddenly collapsed.

A CAL/OSHA investigation found that the walkway had a damaged section of wood that was improperly nailed to a roof beam. According to the investigation summary, “The damaged beam was likely weakened due to age, environmental conditions, and repeated loading over many decades. As the crew walked across the walkways, [Osorio] was standing on the weakened section of the walkway. Suddenly and without warning, the beam supporting the floorboard broke apart and collapsed as the employee stood on that section of the walkway. The employee fell 41 feet and struck the ground below with full force.”

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued two “serious” citations to Disney and its production company Ionic Productions, each with a Fine of $18,000, for a total of $36,000.

CAL/OSHA also issued two fines to Radford Studio Center, both for $22,500, bringing the total penalties for both companies to $81,000. The companies have 15 business days to appeal to the Occupational Safety and Health Appeals Board. Disney is expected to appeal but has not commented at this time.

Osorio's widow, Joanne Osorio-Wu, and his mother, Zoila Osorio, have also filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Radford Studio Center, seeking unspecified damages. The suit alleges that the facility knew or should have known that the catwalks “were in a state of disrepair and in dire need of repair.”

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