Supernatural Spinoff Crew Member Struck by Lightning, Sues Studio for Safety Concerns

Supernatural Spinoff Crew Member Struck by Lightning, Sues Studio for Safety Concerns,The Winchesters assistant camera operator Bryan DeLorenzo sues after he was struck by lightning during a rain shoot, citing negligence and claiming the production didn't follow existing lightning safety protocols.

Supernatural Spinoff Crew Member Struck by Lightning, Sues Studio for Safety Concerns

The Winchesters first assistant camera operator Bryan DeLorenzo alleges that director John Showalter had them shooting in the rain, despite lightning concerns, when he was struck and knocked unconscious.

Supernatural and its prequel series The Winchesters have a lot of experience dealing with monsters of all types, but according to one crew member, the production was not at all prepared to properly handle at least one type of adverse weather condition.

In a lawsuit brought against Warner Bros. Television, The CW Network and producer Jensen Ackles, The Winchesters first assistant camera operator Bryan DeLorenzo is claiming negligence that led to him being hospitalized after he was struck by lightning.

His suit notes that the studio’s safety protocols state that a production should shut down if lightning strikes within six miles of the set and most wait until at least 30 minutes post-strike to resume filming.

DeLorenzo is accusing the production, and director John Showalter, of violating this policy during a shoot in Louisiana last year. According to his suit, DeLorenzo had even questioned the safety of continuing to shoot in what he described as a heavy rainstorm.

DeLorenzo claims that within ten minutes of this conversation, after Showalter called for filming to continue, DeLorenzo was standing next to a camera when there was a loud “boom.”

“The crew was scared and crouched down to protect themselves. During the commotion, Plaintiff was pushed and thrown down to the ground,” the suit alleges. “Plaintiff saw a bright white light and then lightning struck him, knocking him unconscious. When Plaintiff awoke, his chest burned, and he felt like an explosion had occurred.”

The suit reads that he “saw a bright white light and then lightning struck him, knocking him unconscious.” DeLorenzo wound up in the emergency room.

DeLorenzo further claims that he spoke with the studio’s production coordinator and safety officers about shooting in bad weather and was told to “purchase lightning detector products and weather apps,” per The Hollywood Reporter. The studio did not immediately respond to THR’s request for comment.

The camera operator cites “serious physical injuries, pain, discomfort, anxiety, extreme emotional distress, embarrassment, humiliation, depression, shock, and injury to his person” in his suit. He is also seeking punitive damages in “in an amount sufficient to punish and deter similar future conduct.”

The Winchesters was a prequel series to the long-running Supernatural, starring Ackesl and Jared Padalecki. It was canceled in May after completing once season. Supernatural ran for 15 years from 2005 to 2020.