Resident Evil stunt double speaks out on Final Chapter accident that left her partially paralyzed

Last week, producers of the Resident Evil movie franchise were slapped with a lawsuit from Olivia Jackson, Milla Jovovich's stunt double who was left partially paralyzed after an accident on the set of 2016's The Final Chapter. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Jackson, who has stood in for the likes of Charlize Theron in Mad Max: Fury Road and Elizabeth Olsen in Avengers: Age of Ultron, finally discussed the matter publicly.

“You just have the deepest, the darkest, the heaviest hallucinations and nightmares, one after the other. They’re so vivid, so real, you think that’s reality," Jackson said of the visions she had while in a coma following the accident. “Numerous things were changed at the last minute that I wasn’t aware of. Which resulted in the crane operator not lifting the crane in time and basically driving it straight into my left arm and left shoulder.”

Following her collision with the crane, Jackson was rushed to the hospital, where she entered a medically induced coma. The impact — which took place on the very first day of shooting in September of 2015 — tore off part of her jaw, damaged her spine (leading to lasting nerve issues), and made it imperative to amputate her left arm above the elbow.

Jackson also revealed that she took the Resident Evil job while waiting for the first Wonder Woman to begin principal photography.

Today, "the upper right quadrant of her body remains paralyzed, along with a portion of her face, and she says she has a 'droopy eye' with a pupil that refuses to dilate," writes THR. Part of her recovery regimen involves kickboxing and volunteering at a center that helps elderly dementia patients. She also needs to medicate just to deal with the pain. Originally promised $33,000 for treatment (not even that high, considering the severity of the stuntwoman's permanent injuries), Jackson ended up receiving less than $1,000.

Source: Screen Gems

“It’s had such a huge impact on every single part of my life, my body is so physically damaged and a lot of it beyond repair,” Jackson added. “Every single moment of my time, I’ve got nerve pain ... One of the hardest things is I lost the life I loved. I knew that I would never work again. I loved my job with all my heart."

In terms of the lawsuit, Olivia is seeking remuneration from director Paul W.S. Anderson (who helmed four of the franchise's cinematic entries), producer Jeremy Bolt, Tannhauser Gate Inc., Impact Pictures, and Bolt Pictures.

"Olivia has confronted her devastating injuries with relentless courage, but she continues to face immense physical and emotional challenges," stated her attorney, Gabe Barenfeld. "Olivia deserves full financial support to aid her in this ongoing battle."

SYFY WIRE has reached out to Anderson and Impact Pictures for comment.

Production on Resident Evil: The Final Chapter also resulted in the death of Ricardo Cornelius, a crew member who was crushed by a humvee on the film's South African set.

A reboot of the lucrative film series, which is being helmed by writer/director Johannes Roberts, is currently in the works.