A professional tarot card reader is pursuing a £12.7 million compensation claim against cinema operator Vue Entertainment after an incident in north London allegedly left him with chronic pain and affected his ability to work.
Marcus Hunefalk-Franzen, 60, claims he was thrown forward when a cinema seat collapsed beneath him during a visit to a Vue cinema in Islington in September 2015.
He alleges the incident caused lasting injuries, reduced his earnings and cost him several acting opportunities.
The case, which has yet to reach trial despite Vue admitting liability, has seen the value of his compensation claim increase substantially over the past 11 years.
Cinema Seat Collapse Left Tarot Reader Injured
The accident happened at the end of a matinee screening in September 2015, when Hunefalk-Franzen was getting out of his seat.
According to court documents submitted on his behalf, the chair suddenly collapsed, throwing him forward into the seat in front of him before he fell to the floor.
The documents state that the incident caused a sudden forward movement and deceleration, resulting in soft tissue damage.
An investigation later established that bolts intended to secure the chair to the cinema floor were missing.
Hunefalk-Franzen has described the seat as dangerously defective, claiming it became a trap and that cinema staff failed to ensure it was properly secured before allowing customers to use it.
He alleges that the injuries left him suffering chronic neck and back pain, alongside other physical problems that affected his senses.
Claimant Says Accident Destroyed Business and Acting Prospects
Before the incident, Hunefalk-Franzen was developing his career as a professional tarot reader, operating at Greenwich Market and building an online presence.
He had also secured a leading acting role in Ginger Beer, a film about a gay teacher at an agricultural school who discovers ballroom dancing.
The claimant maintains that his injuries prevented him from pursuing several professional opportunities and significantly reduced his earning potential.
He also argued that two business ventures he had planned would have generated substantial income.
These included a new approach to acting coaching and an online psychic service called MyPsychicEye.
According to his claim, the ventures could have earned him £1.5 million.
He further estimated that he would have generated more than £1 million annually without the accident and could eventually have sold the business for £3 million upon retirement.
Compensation Claim Rises From £50,000 to £12.7 Million
Hunefalk-Franzen initially brought legal proceedings against Vue Entertainment Ltd following the accident.
The cinema operator admitted liability, with the original claim estimated at approximately £50,000.
That valuation was subsequently increased to £200,000.
However, court documents have now revealed that the claim has risen to £12.7 million, representing an increase of approximately 6,350 per cent from the £200,000 valuation.
Vue’s legal representatives have strongly challenged the revised figure.
During a pre-trial hearing in 2024 before Judge Yvette Genn at Central London County Court, the claimant maintained that his case was worth £200,000.
However, Vue’s barrister, David White, argued that the appropriate compensation should be between £8,000 and £12,500.
Vue Challenges Medical Evidence Behind the Claim
In its defence, Vue questioned the extent of the injuries attributed to the cinema accident.
The company’s lawyers referred to medical records indicating that Hunefalk-Franzen had experienced symptoms of chronic fatigue and neck pain dating back to 2008, several years before the incident.
They also disputed the suggestion that he immediately experienced all the symptoms described in his claim.
According to the defence, the claimant reported a back injury to cinema staff on the day of the accident but did not immediately report severe neck pain, problems involving his feet and legs, moderate tingling sensations in his feet or a mild loss of taste on the left side of his tongue.
Judge Genn described the proceedings as a complex claim, noting that the case also involved a brain injury Hunefalk-Franzen sustained in 2004, from which he had reportedly recovered by 2013.
Court Delays Trial Until Late 2027
The case was initially expected to proceed to trial by February 2025 at the latest.
However, it returned to court more than a year later for another pre-trial hearing, this time before Judge Alan Saggarson.
The court heard that the trial would not take place until the end of 2027, extending the legal dispute more than 12 years beyond the original accident.
Hunefalk-Franzen is representing himself in the proceedings.
Addressing the delays, Judge Saggarson acknowledged that the claimant faced several difficulties involving cognitive ability, concentration and processing large amounts of information.
The judge also rejected an application by the tarot reader to submit an updated report from a pain therapist because it had missed the deadline for filing evidence.
Explaining the decision, Judge Saggarson said litigants representing themselves should not receive special treatment, warning that doing so would amount to what he described as two-tier justice.
Claim Includes Medical Expenses and Holiday Costs
Beyond his demand for compensation over lost earnings and business opportunities, Hunefalk-Franzen is seeking reimbursement for additional expenses.
These include more than £12,000 for past holidays and thousands of pounds towards a 15-year supply of orthopaedic footwear.
The full £12.7 million claim remains disputed by Vue, with the case now expected to reach trial towards the end of 2027.
