Overview
- The claimant, Marcus Hunefalk-Franzen, says a cinema chair collapsed under him at Islington’s Vue in September 2015 and left him with chronic neck and back pain plus impaired taste, smell and hearing.
- Vue Entertainment has admitted liability for the seat collapse after court papers said bolts anchoring the chair to the floor were missing, but the company strongly disputes the scale of damages being sought.
- Hunefalk-Franzen has increased his claim over time to £12.7m, placing more than £10m on lost future earnings tied to planned ventures including an online platform called MyPsychicEye.
- Vue’s defence points to extensive pre-accident medical records showing fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, prior neck pain and a 2004 brain injury to argue much of the reported harm predates the 2015 fall.
- Recent pre-trial rulings refused late expert evidence, noted the claimant is acting for himself with cognitive and concentration difficulties, and the case is now pencilled in for trial towards the end of 2027.