A man is suing Vue cinema after he was ‘catapulted’ from a ‘dangerously defective’ chair after watching a film.
Marcus Hunefalk-Franzen was at a Vue in Islington, London, back in September 2015 when he experienced the freak accident.
Central London County Court heard how the professional fortune-teller was taken by surprise when his seat suddenly collapsed as he got up, causing him to tumble to the ground.
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And now, the 58-year-old says he suffers chronic neck and back pain and impaired hearing, taste and sense of smell as a result.
Hunefalk-Franzen is suing the cinema chain for £200,000 after Vue Entertainment Ltd admitted liability for the accident.
However, its lawyers are disputing his valuation of the claim.
It's not the first time Vue has faced legal action over incidents involving their seats, after a man died in 2018 after getting trapped by a reclining chair.
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When the accident happened, the Londoner was doing professional tarot readings at Greenwich market.
But he claims the accident at the cinema badly impacted his earnings and also meant he lost several acting and performing arts gigs.
An actor as well as a professional fortune-teller, he had previously starred in various short films such as Ginger Beer and A day in the life of Happiness.
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Court documents filed on behalf of Hunefalk-Franzen, describe the accident in which he claims the chair became a ‘trap’ for him.
They state: “During the course of his visit, the claimant sat on a chair to view a film within the auditorium.
“As he alighted from the chair, the chair collapsed in on itself and catapulted the claimant forward into the chair in front, causing a forward flexion and deceleration movement, resulting in soft tissue damage.
“The claimant fell to the floor. By reason thereof, he has suffered personal injury, loss and damage. It was later discovered that bolts anchoring the chair to the floor were missing, causing the chair to overturn.”
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Hunefalk-Franzen also alleged fault by the cinema’s staff in ‘failing to ensure the chair was sufficiently anchored to the floor by the negligent removal of safety bolts'.
At a pre-trial hearing, the judge described the ‘complex’ claim to be complicated by the fact ‘there was a previous brain injury suffered by the claimant in 2004, although Mr Hunefalk-Franzen says he had recovered from that by 2013’.
Representing himself, the professional fortune teller said he is only now beginning to move properly again.
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The defence disputed the claims value, insisting it is actually worth between £8,000 to £12,500.
Barrister David White said while Hunefalk-Franzen probably has sustained an injury like whiplash, the medical evidence doesn’t ‘support the hearing loss or taste loss being attributable to this accident'.
The judge directed that psychiatric and pain management evidence should be put together to prepare for a trial set to start towards the end of this year/beginning of next.
LADbible has contacted Vue Cinema for comment.
Jess Battison