During the filming of Mission: Impossible 2 in 1999, stuntman Mark Joseph Connolly was seriously injured in an on-set accident (according to FilmStarts).
A motorcycle fell from the air and struck the man. As a result, Connolly broke his collarbone and experienced ongoing pain and reduced movement in his right arm. This injury ended his career as a stunt performer, and *Mission: Impossible 2* became the final film he worked on.
Connolly filed a lawsuit against Billy Burton, the unit director, claiming Burton was negligent in ensuring safety, which resulted in Connolly’s accident.
Burton directed the stunt scene where Connolly was hurt. The New South Wales Supreme Court found that Burton told Connolly where to stand as a motorcycle was filmed flying past. Connolly and another stunt performer were meant to face away from the motorcycle and pretend to shoot at a helicopter flying overhead.
The court determined that Connolly was in serious danger of being hurt if he wasn’t given a clear signal to move out of the way of the motorcycle at the crucial time.
The judge believed that even if a sound signal had been used, it wouldn’t have been effective because of the loud noise on set. Connolly likely wouldn’t have been able to hear it, and that created a dangerous situation.
As the judge said:
When Connolly expressed his safety concerns, Mr. Burton, who was already frustrated with how the day was going, didn’t address them. At a minimum, Burton should have run a practice session to ensure everyone understood the signals and could move safely. However, his eagerness to get some usable footage from the day prevented him from doing so.
Man, it took eight years, but the court finally made a decision in my case. They awarded me over a million dollars – 1,018,253 to be exact! It was announced on December 14th, 2007, around 10:40 in the morning. But honestly, it didn’t feel like a win. Just a few hours later, at 2:00 p.m., I passed away from pancreatic cancer. It was a bittersweet moment, to say the least.
Knowing that Mark Joseph Connolly was seriously ill with pancreatic cancer – a diagnosis he received in May 2007 – the judge aimed to finish the case that same year. This happened, but sadly, only a few hours before Connolly passed away.
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2025-09-16 12:32