The New Mexico trial law firm of McGinn Montoya Love Curry & Sievers PA and Panish Shea Boyle Ravipudi LLP are honored to represent the family of late cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in a wrongful death lawsuit against Alec Baldwin and the producers of “Rust.”
Last October, the production of the Western film turned tragic when Baldwin fired a prop gun, killing Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza in the clavicle. Hutchins was just 42 years old at the time. Her husband of 16 years and her 9-year-old son continue to grieve with their unexpected loss.
On February 15, 2022, Brian Panish of PSBR and MMLCS Partner Randi McGinn spoke on the heartbreaking case at a Downtown Los Angeles press conference. The lawsuit alleges that Baldwin and producers negligently cut costs and created an unsafe work environment, as reported by Fox 11 News.
“No one should ever die with a real gun on a make-believe movie set,” Attorney McGinn stated. “That should never happen.”
Baldwin continues to argue that he was told the gun was “cold,” that it was safe to use. This does not change the fact that, per our investigations, Baldwin refused to be trained on the kind of gun draw he was using. In addition, he purportedly failed to check the gun himself—a clear violation of safety protocol.
But what about when the armorer is unqualified?
The lawsuit alleges the armorer on the set of 'Rust' was unqualified and overworked, and that those in charge were well aware of it. In fact, crew had complained about the safety issues on set far before Hutchins’ death. Some had even quit in protest. Yet production continued.
The fatal 'Rust' shooting is, the lawsuit alleges, a culmination of numerous failures on the part of producers. As executive producer, Baldwin especially had a duty to ensure the safety of those working on the film.
Press Conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQbtXsDQX0o&t=831s
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