'Hangover 2' stuntman sues Warner Bros over critical injuries

Scott McLean, who hails from Australia, was doubling for actor Ed Helms during a car-chase sequence when his head smashed into a moving vehicle, leaving him with a huge gash over the right side of his head and flesh torn from his skull.

McLean, who according to his legal representatives is likely to suffer "permanent brain and physical injuries", is suing for unspecified damages, The Hollywood Reporter said.

In his lawsuit, filed in California yesterday, the stuntman claims that the action sequence needed "precision and timing" but stunt coordinator Russell Solberg changed the timing just after they had started performing the stunt.

"Solberg commanded to the driver of the automobile in which plaintiff Scott McLean was a passenger, that the speed of his vehicle be increased significantly to a speed unsafe for the stunt, thus resulting in a major collision," McLean claims in his lawsuit.

The clip he was filming shows the movie's stars being chased in a taxi by two Russian gangsters on motorbikes.

In a statement Warner Bros said, "We were shocked and saddened by this accident and have been working closely with Scott and his family throughout his treatment and recovery.