In a move that has left many in shock, renowned broadcaster and author Sir Stephen Fry has taken legal action against the organizers of a technology conference where he sustained severe injuries after falling off the stage during his keynote address. The 68-year-old suffered a broken leg, hip, pelvis, and multiple rib fractures at the CogX convention held at the O2 arena in London in September 2023.
In an interview with Claudia Winkleman's BBC Radio 2 show in December 2023, Sir Stephen recounted the tragic incident, stating, "I did my customary bow after delivering my lecture, turned to leave the stage, and didn't realize that I was walking off a part of the stage where there was nothing but a six-foot drop onto concrete. As a result, I broke my right leg in several places and my hip and pelvis in four places, along with a 'bunch of ribs'."
Despite his close call with disaster, Sir Stephen expressed gratitude that his spine and skull were not affected. He has now filed a personal injury claim against CogX Festival Ltd and creative agency Blonstein Events Ltd, seeking damages up to £100,000.
The court documents filed on his behalf state: "The Claimant brings a claim for damages for personal injuries sustained on 14 September 2023 at the O2 Arena, London, while attending the CogX Festival where he had been engaged to deliver a talk on Artificial Intelligence. After concluding his presentation and while exiting the stage backstage area, the Claimant fell approximately two meters from the stage to the concrete floor below. The incident was caused by the negligence and/or breach of statutory duty of the Defendants, its servants or agents, in failing to ensure that the stage and backstage area were safe, adequately lit, and properly protected to prevent a fall from height."
In response, 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 had the accident after giving his incredible speech on the Impact of AI, and we continue to send him our best wishes for a full recovery."
Blonstein Events Ltd, which worked on the event, is also listed as a defendant in the claim. However, company director Sara Blonstein said they have not been formally notified of it yet. Once a claim is filed at the High Court, a claimant has several weeks before they need to officially serve it on any defendants.
In a statement to BBC News, Blonstein said: "No court proceedings have been served by Sir Stephen Fry or those representing him. If court proceedings are served, both we and our insurers are confident that our defense will be successful as we were in no way responsible for this incident."
Lawyer Keith Barrett of Fieldfisher, who is representing Sir Stephen, said: "It's very unfortunate that court proceedings were necessary, but the Defendants do not accept Sir Stephen's account of events, and we have had to ask the court to determine who is responsible for his injury and losses."
