Clarendon National Insurance Sues Film Producers of ‘Cinderella Man’

Nearly four years after Russell Crowe dislocated his shoulder while training to portray boxer Jim Braddock in “Cinderella Man,” the injury is the cause of a $3 million court bout.

Clarendon National Insurance Co. filed suit against Omnikrom, the production company formerly known as Colder Than Jersey Productions, in Los Angeles Superior Court.

The suit aims at keeping the production company from claiming $3 million to cover the cost of compensating co-star Renee Zellweger because shooting took 14 weeks instead of seven weeks thanks to Crowe’s injury. The $3 million was in addition to the $5 million Zellweger earned for the film, according to suit.

The insurance company claims it already paid almost $6 million in claims under the policy to cover the cost of Crowe’s surgery and rehabilitation, and other production delays, according to the suit.

The suit argues the production company did not file the claim until July 2005, at least five months after the balance of the insurance claims were paid, so the insurance company should not be required to cover the cost of the Zellweger’s extra fee.

Calls to attorneys on both sides of the dispute were not immediately returned.