Bernecker was flown by medical helicopter to Atlanta Medical Center, where he was pronounced brain-dead on July 12; his family released a statement July 14 saying his organs had been donated. Cast members paid tribute to him at Comic-Con, held this month in San Diego.
MORE: On-set deaths, injuries renew focus on safety
Bernecker's death coincidentally happened days before a Savannah jury returned an $11.2 million verdict in the wrongful death civil suit filed after camera assistant Sarah Jones died on the Georgia set of "Midnight Rider." The law firm that represented her parents Richard and Elizabeth Jones on July 14 filed a personal injury lawsuit stemming from a 2015 incident on the Conyers set of "Sleepy Hollow."
"A movie set is like a big factory, except in a factory you have the same people doing the same jobs,"Harris Lowry Manton attorney Jeff Harris said. "A movie set is like taking a big factory that has things going on that are dangerous and moving it around and then doing things that might be dangerous, like blowing stuff up."
Given Georgia’s booming film industry, he added, “I’m surprised there aren’t more accidents.”
It's unclear if Bernecker's family is pondering legal action. For now, relatives invite his friends to cherish his memory. His funeral service is open to anyone who'd like to attend. Donations to defray expenses may be made here.
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