Resident Evil stuntwoman who suffered horrific injuries after motorbike crash sues for £2.2m

Olivia Jackson, from South Africa, was known in the film industry for her death defying stunts as a body double for some of the top actors in Hollywood

The stuntwoman who lost an arm and spent seventeen days in a coma after a horrific motorbike crash on a film set is suing for £2.2m.

Olivia Jackson, from South Africa, was known in the film industry for her death defying stunts as a body double for some of the top actors in Hollywood, working on films including Star Wars, Guardians of the Galaxy and Mad Max.

In September 2015 when she was shooting stunts for Resident Evil, a fight scene she was due to appear in was cancelled and she was instead asked to stand in for Milla Jovovich in a high speed motorcycle stunt.

But the scene went terribly wrong when a mechanical mobile film camera, mounted on a Mercedes SUV, did not raise up quickly enough as she drove towards it.

Jackson, who was wearing a vest top, ripped jacket and khaki jeans, was not required to wear a helmet for the stunt, and the heavy camera slammed into her upper body and face.

The professional Thai kick boxer suffered catastrophic injuries and spent 17 days in a coma. She had to have her left arm amputated – her left forearm was never found.

She also suffered brain swelling, punctured lungs, dozens of broken bones, a severed vital neck artery, a permanently dislocated shoulder and a twisted spine.

Over the past three years, Jackson has written about the trauma of the incident as well as her recovery. In a recent interview she revealed she has been in constant pain since.

"It is so tempting to hate the people that did this to me but I try to use that energy to focus on getting better and staying positive," she said.

She is suing Canada-based independent film production company Davis/Impact Films, Cape Town-based Pyranha Stunts, stunt-coordinator Grant Hully and the camera tracking company Bickers Action SA.

In papers filed at the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, Jackson says she is unemployable due to the injuries she suffered in the incident after previously earning £20,000 a month while in the UK.

All parties have served notice to defend the actions, although full responses have not yet been filed. The camera crane operator said in court papers that the crash would have been avoided if she had applied brakes. the court case is expected to be heard next year.