Expert Lawyers At Irwin Mitchell Secure Out-Of-Court Settlement

A man who suffered a ‘terrifying’ ordeal when the set at the Camden Roundhouse theatre in London collapsed onto him during a performance has received a four-figure out-of-court settlement after successful legal action by expert lawyers at Irwin Mitchell.

Nicholas Mackay-Grant, 49, from St. Albans, Hertfordshire was one of a number of people injured during a performance at the Fuerzabruta show in January 2014 when a spinning sail became detached from its rigging and landed in the audience at the London venue.

The scenery that collapsed was a stand-alone structure brought to the theatre by Fuerzabruta for use in their production.

He suffered injuries to his left shoulder and back and was treated at the scene by paramedics. He continued to suffer pain for a year after the incident and his injuries stopped him from doing a number of day-to-day tasks, including caring for his children and cycling.

Nicholas instructed specialist lawyers at Irwin Mitchell, who also represented members of the public injured when the Apollo Theatre ceiling collapsed in December 2013, to investigate the Camden Roundhouse incident and secure funds to help cover the costs of his rehabilitation as he looks to get his life back on track following his injuries.

They have now secured a four-figure out of court settlement after the insurers of Concert Productions International B.V, the production company responsible for the show, admitted liability for the incident.

Investigations revealed the sail became detached from the rigging during the performance due to a connection failure. Fuerzabruta was responsible for the scenery and the maintenance checks before productions.

Nicholas has now had treatment by an Osteopath, which has helped his symptoms to improve but he still struggles with pain in his shoulder and back when lifting heavy items.

Katrina Elsey, a personal injury specialist at Irwin Mitchell, who represented Nicholas, said: “This was an absolutely terrifying ordeal for Nicholas and the other members of the audience who were injured when the set collapsed.

“The injuries and pain he suffered as a result affected him for a number of months and had a significant impact on his day-to-day life. We are delighted to have secured him funds that will cover the cost of his treatment and rehabilitation.

“We now hope that lessons have been learned from this terrible incident and that the appropriate steps have been taken to ensure the health and safety of audience members is not endangered in the future.”

Nicholas said: “The accident was terrifying and a complete shock to me and everyone else in the audience that night. As soon as the set landed on us I felt excruciating pain in my shoulder.

“I was left in severe pain for a number of weeks and went through a year of treatment and rehabilitation.

“The incident had a significant impact on my life and I struggled to do a number of everyday tasks, including household chores, looking after my children and taking them on bike rides, which I used to do regularly.

“The last 18 months have been extremely frustrating for me and I’m relieved that I can now start to put the incident behind me and move on with my life.”