‘American Horror Story’ Production Companies Sued by Family of Driver Who Died of COVID-19 After Working on Set
Three production companies have been sued by the family of a man who died from COVID-19 after driving a crew van on the set of “American Horror Story” in Massachusetts, where the plaintiffs say protocols were regularly flaunted.
The family of Paul Woodward filed a lawsuit Wednesday in federal court claiming that the Provincetown set did not follow COVID-19 protocols during the February 2021 production. Woodward contracted the virus and died soon after working the set as a shuttle driver, according to the lawsuit, for whom Woodward’s wife is the main plaintiff.
Ryan Murphy Productions, 20th Century Studios and Walt Disney Co. are the defendants. Friday night’s messages to these companies were not returned immediately.
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According to the filing, Woodward wasn’t given a plexiglass separator for his van. Additionally, several people from outside of the state were forced into the passenger-shuttle, in violation production rules. It says “crew, actors, contractors and employees” on the Provincetown set flaunted a number of protocols to prevent spreading the virus, including social distancing and other company edicts that prevented gathering.
“He passed away on the morning of our 25th anniversary,” Patricia Woodward told NBC10 Boston. “So that day instead of going out to dinner or having champagne, I had to go to the funeral home and look for a casket for him.”
She stated that her husband tested negative for COVID-19 at first, but he became more sick and was eventually admitted to the hospital. He died about five weeks later.
Since 2020, hundreds of COVID-19-related workplace lawsuits have been filed. Most are related to issues such as paid leave, discrimination, and compensation. Some class-action suits address workplace safety. However, it was not immediately clear if any plaintiff had sued their employer for COVID-19-related injuries sustained at work.