The Region - News from July 30, 1986

The decision voiding a $4.5-million award to stunt-woman Heidi von Beltz, who was paralyzed by an accident during filming of the motion picture “Cannonball Run” six years ago, was upheld by Superior Court Judge Philip Jones, who refused to grant a new trial on a jury’s ruling that she was 35% responsible for the accident that left her a quadriplegic. Von Beltz was awarded $7 million in her suit against director Hal Needham last month, but the award was reduced to $4.5 million after the jury decided she was partially at fault. Jones then voided the reduced award on grounds that she already had received $5.8 million from settlements with co-defendants in the case. Under California law, these settlements and a $1.1-million Worker’s Compensation award were subtracted from the jury award.