Search For Answers And Justice Begins Following West End Ordeal
Victims seriously injured when the roof of London’s Apollo Theatre collapsed during a performance last month have instructed specialist serious injury lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to help them gain justice in relation to the ordeal and ensure such problems are never repeated.
Almost 80 theatregoers were injured when the ceiling of the Grade II-listed venue on the capital’s Shaftesbury Avenue came down during a performance of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time on December 19th, with more than 50 victims needing hospital treatment as a result.
National law firm Irwin Mitchell is now representing victims who suffered serious physical and psychological injuries in the collapse and have commenced their own investigations into the incident.
The expert lawyers – who also acted for victims injured when a stage collapsed at the Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham in 2003 – are calling for authorities to work quickly to provide vital answers regarding the cause of the incident to ensure that important safety lessons can be learned.
Among the clients that Irwin Mitchell is representing is Lise Martino, 46, who was at the theatre with her son Luciano when the ceiling collapsed.
Mrs Martino, who lives in London, recalls: “When you visit the theatre you never, in a million years, expect to go through the ordeal that we and other audience members faced.
“This was supposed to be a relaxing night out before Christmas and while we feel very lucky that the consequences were not much worse, both my son and I have been completely traumatised.
“My husband is also concerned, considering the age of the building, as to whether asbestos may have been present. We’ve had little to no communication from the theatre and the lack of any kind of information is really worrying. We simply want answers.”
David added that the devastation of the Apollo Theatre roof collapse has been felt widely and left a great number of people seeking reassurances regarding the safety of such venues in London and wider afield.