Renaissance festival jousting fall not covered by comp

The Louisiana Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that an actor injured in a fall from a horse while jousting at the Louisiana Renaissance Festival was not entitled to workers compensation because he was an independent contractor.

The high court affirmed a May 9 ruling by the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal that had cleared the Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Corp. and La Ren Fest LLC of liability for the head injuries suffered by John McKeane in 2021. The case is McKeane v. La Ren Fest LLC.

According to court documents, La Ren Fest contracted with War Horse Productions, which in turn subcontracted the performance of Mr. McKeane for the festival in Hammond, Louisiana.