Porn agents may be liable for injuries to actors

Porn star injuries captured the spotlight when an adult entertainment industry Web site reported that California's State Compensation Insurance Fund had changed its policy on coverage for talent agents.

The site, Xbiz.com, reported that San Francisco-based SCIF recently took the position that talent agents who fail to confirm that a film production company has workers comp coverage could be liable if an actor were injured.

That reportedly was a shift away from a common industry belief that performers are not employees of their talent agents.

But a SCIF spokeswoman said the state insurer has not changed its position on entertainment talent and its practices are the same for insurance covering live theater, television and adult movies.

In general, she said, talent agents are not required to insure the people they represent. But she also said that can vary on a case-by-case basis, depending on the talent agency's business relationship with the actors.

The Web site also reported that the California Division of Occupational Safety & Health occasionally verifies that film sets have workers comp insurance. Do Cal/OSHA inspectors draw straws to decide who visits the sets?

Work-related injuries and illnesses that adult film stars suffer reportedly include everything from slip-and-falls to contracting disease. The site didn't mention anything about repetitive stress injuries.