Stephen Fry Seeks Damages After Serious Fall at London Tech Conference

Stephen Fry has launched legal action against the organisers of a technology conference after suffering serious injuries when he fell off a stage following a keynote speech in London.

The broadcaster, actor and author is seeking up to £100,000 in damages after the accident at the CogX Festival, which took place at The O2 Arena in September 2023.

Sir Stephen, 68, said he sustained multiple injuries in the fall, including fractures to his leg, hip, pelvis and several ribs. He had been speaking at the event after being invited to deliver a keynote address focused on artificial intelligence.

Describing the incident at the time, he said: “So I broke my right leg in a couple of places and my hip and pelvis in four places and a bunch of ribs.”

He added that he felt fortunate the injuries were not even more severe, saying he had “praised my lucky stars” that he did not damage his spine or suffer a skull injury.

According to court documents filed on his behalf, Fry is bringing a personal injury claim against CogX Festival Ltd and Blonstein Events Ltd.

The filing states that after finishing his presentation and while leaving the stage through the backstage area, he fell approximately two metres from the stage onto the concrete floor below.

“The Claimant brings a claim for damages for personal injuries sustained on 14 September 2023 at the O2 Arena, London, whilst attending the CogX Festival where he had been engaged to deliver a talk on Artificial Intelligence,” the court documents state.

The legal action is focused on the circumstances surrounding the fall and whether sufficient safety measures were in place backstage at the venue.

Neither CogX Festival Ltd nor Blonstein Events Ltd has publicly responded to the claim so far.