Bond film assistant director launches compensation claim

A man who says he suffered career-ending injuries when hurt in a "horrendous" accident during filming of the James Bond film Spectre in Austria has launched a High Court compensation claim, lawyers said.

Terry Madden, of Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, says his legs were crushed after a Range Rover skidded out of control when he was working as an assistant director on the Daniel Craig movie three years ago.

London law firm Stewarts, which is representing Mr Madden, gave detail of the claim on Wednesday.

"Stewarts has commenced litigation in the High Court claiming damages on behalf of Terry Madden, who sustained career-ending injuries during the filming of the James Bond film Spectre in Austria in 2015," said a spokeswoman for the law firm.

"Mr Madden was working as Second Unit Assistant Director on Spectre for B24 and Eon Productions, the companies behind the famous 007 franchise.

"He is highly regarded in the film industry for his work on the Bond films and many other blockbuster movies dating back over 45 years to the original Star Wars in 1976.

"On February 17 2015, the Second Unit were filming action sequences of an aeroplane flying through a valley in the Austrian Alps using a remotely-operated camera rig mounted on a Range Rover.

"At the end of one of the shots, the vehicle skidded out of control and hit Mr Madden, pinning him against a camera rostrum and crushing his legs.

"He was airlifted to hospital in Austria and subsequently repatriated to the UK by air ambulance."

Lawyer Julian Chamberlayne added: "It has now become necessary to issue High Court proceedings to ensure that the insurers fully compensate Terry for his injuries which have ultimately ended his successful and celebrated career."

Mr Madden said: "I felt privileged and proud to work and be part of an active, exciting, but hard working industry, at times sacrificing family life.

"Then to have a career you worked hard over many years to build up, taken away within a few seconds in this horrendous accident, has been soul destroying. It has limited my mobility greatly and I am unable to do things I once took for granted."

B24 and Eon Productions are listed as defendants on a claim form lodged at the High Court in London.