The scissor tattoo, she said, was inspired by something Jackson saw online posted by a war veteran.

According to court filings, here is what happened: Originally Jackson was expecting to perform a fight scene, but due to rain she was asked to do a motorbike ride instead. In the scene, Jackson had to speed the motorcycle to about 44 mph toward a camera attached to a mechanical crane, mounted on a Mercedes-Benz SUV driving towards her.

The plan was that the boom would lift from low off the ground and then rise above her, with the camera rotating to shoot her passing underneath. In the final of three runs, the boom lifted too late, and she smashed into the camera, damaging her left arm, so badly it was amputated and tearing the flesh off her cheek, exposing her teeth.

Less than a year later, Jackson sued the stunt coordinator and his company Pyranha Stunts, the driver, the boom operator, and stunt vehicle company Bickers Action South Africa (PTY) Ltd. for negligence. In 2017, she also sued South African production company, Davis Films/ Impact Pictures, and the road fund.

The defendants denied Jackson’s allegations and said her claims should be covered by the road fund. Davis Films also said Jackson drove too fast, didn’t take evasive action to avoid the collision, and was aware of the risks.

The High Court of South Africa in 2019 dismissed Jackson’s claim against Davis Films and the other individuals, determining that the case would be governed by the Road Accident Fund. The fund covers all users of South African roads against injuries sustained or death in motor vehicle accidents, indemnifying those who cause the accident, as well as providing personal injury and death insurance to victims.

Last month, the judge found the driver, Roland Hilton Melville, “negligent.” He cited expert witnesses who agreed there it would have been “virtually impossible” for Jackson to avoid the accident. As the director had sought to get a “more exciting shot, the insured driver miscalculated the margin for error and his command,” according to the ruling. The decision also absolved Jackson of any fault and determined that the road fund was liable for damages.

An attorney for Melville declined to comment, and a representative of the fund could not be reached.

Separately, Jackson had sued Anderson and producer Bolt for damages in Los Angeles in 2019, alleging they reneged on a promise to foot her medical bills and misrepresented the level of insurance coverage available to her. Jackson said she was led to believe that production had “a prudent level of insurance to cover any injuries sustained and resulting losses.”

Anderson and Bolt filed a motion to dismiss her complaint, saying the lawsuit contained “false allegations” to generate “negative publicity.” They said the case had no “legitimate” connection to California, and that they were not directors or owners of the South African production company.

Bolt and Anderson said they had no role in procuring insurance for the movie. They said the local production company, Davis Films, had liability coverage but that the South Africa court had ruled that the RAF was “solely responsible” for covering Jackson’s injuries.

Additionally, they said they never promised to pay personally for all her medical expenses and that the local company paid $248,256 to Jackson and her family but stopped providing support when the South African litigation started.

The Los Angeles case was dismissed after Jackson withdrew her complaint in 2019 when she and legal team realized they were unlikely to be able to claim jurisdiction in California, Chamberlayne said. Jackson’s struggle to make a significant claim under insurance is a “very commonplace story,” Chamberlayne added. “The industry tends to be as secretive as they can be over the insurance arrangements.”

Back at home in High Wycombe, England, Jackson is supported by her husband, who is also a stunt performer who recently doubled for James Bond. He helps her through daily physical rehabilitation sessions and repeated doctors’ visits to discuss potential new surgeries.

Jackson has taken up martial arts again, but phantom limb pain from her lost arm and the damage to her skeleton and muscles, causes “excruciating” pain. “I don’t feel awkward about the fact that I’ve got one arm and, in fact, we’re very lighthearted about it,” she said. “It’s important to laugh in life.” The stuntwoman hasn’t made a film since the accident, and is collaborating with a writer on her biography and working on a documentary about her recovery. But her financial outlook is uncertain. A further trial in South Africa is needed to determine the size of the compensation due to her, a process that might take years. “If I at least had some compensation that would help me to look after myself, help me to survive for the rest of my life…that would at least help,” she said.