Stephen Fry sues tech conference organisers for £100,000 over fall from stage | Stephen Fry
Stephen Fry is suing two companies that organized a tech conference in 2023 where he was injured when he fell off stage, according to high court documents.
The actor and presenter broke his hip and suffered multiple fractures to his right leg, pelvis and ribs while attending the CogX festival at the O2 Arena on September 14, 2023, where he gave a talk on artificial intelligence.
Now court documents show he is suing CogX Festival Ltd and Blonstein Events, seeking compensation for injuries sustained at the event.
“The incident occurred due to the negligence and/or breach of legal duties of the defendants, their officers or agents in ensuring that the stage and backstage area was safe, adequately lit and appropriately protected to prevent falls from a height,” the document states.
“The plaintiff seeks damages of up to £100,000 for personal injuries and consequential losses, which includes compensation for pain, suffering and loss of peace of mind in excess of £1,000, as well as interest on damages… and costs.”
A spokesperson for CogX Festival Ltd said: “We are unable to comment while the legal process is ongoing, but we were all deeply concerned when Stephen suffered an accident after giving his incredible speech on the impact of AI and we continue to send him our best wishes for his full recovery.”
The second company, Blonstein Events, has not yet been officially notified of this claim, according to company manager Sara Blonstein. When a case is brought in the high court, it is standard procedure in England and Wales that the plaintiff normally has four months to formally serve the case on the defendants.
According to the BBC, the following statements were made in the statement made by Blonstein Events: “No lawsuit has been served by Sir Stephen Fry or those who represent him. If court proceedings are served, both we and our insurers are confident that our defense will be successful as we are not responsible in any way for this incident.”
Speaking to BBC Radio 2 presenter Claudia Winkleman about his fall in 2023, Fry said: “After I gave that lecture, I took my bow, turned to get off the stage and didn’t realize I was coming off a part of the stage where there was nothing going on. I fell five feet onto the concrete.”
He said he was “praising my lucky stars” at the time and that the fall did not damage his spine or skull.
Fry also thanked the NHS on his radio programme, adding that the healthcare service was “phenomenal”. Sharing his experience of being treated at Queen Elizabeth hospital, he said: “[It’s] It’s not a famous hospital, but it does extraordinary work every day. They were amazing to me. “They were under a lot of pressure, but they provided everything I could have asked for.”
