A Hong Kong dancer left paralysed after being hit by a falling giant screen at a concert by popular Cantopop boy band Mirror in 2022 is suing a government department and 11 other parties involved in the show’s production for an undisclosed amount of compensation.
The defendants have been accused of negligence and breaching their duty of care.
Among those named in the claims are the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, a contractor it hired, and a Guangdong-based stage production house, according to writs filed to the High Court this month.
Injured dancer Mo Li Kai-yin, 30, was left paralysed from the neck down in the accident at the Hong Kong Coliseum, operated by the department, and is currently receiving treatment overseas.
Li, represented by his lawyers, filed three writs, claiming damages “for the catastrophic personal injuries, loss and damage” he sustained on July 28, 2022 while working as a dancer at the Mirror concert.
During the show, a 500kg (1,100lbs) LED screen measuring four metres (13 feet) by four metres and suspended from the ceiling suddenly fell and hit Li.
Another dancer, Chang Tsz-fung, was left with a fractured pelvis.
Following the accident, backstage lights did not turn on immediately, complicating rescue efforts. Mirror members, who were wearing monitoring headsets, were unable to react in time.
Investigations revealed that the main contractor misreported the weights of the equipment and components.
The writs said the incident was “contributed to by the negligence and/or breach of duty of care” on the part of the defendants.
Seven defendants are listed in the first writ, including the director of leisure and cultural services and Fugro (Hong Kong), which was engaged by the department to provide vetting services for the event.
The other five defendants are Engineering Impact, Infinity Project Management, Hip Hing Loong Stage Engineering, United Technical Services, and C.A.N.I.
Four other production companies were listed in the second writ. They are Li’s employer, Studiodanz, The Clan Too, Hong Kong Innotech Media Production, and In Technical Productions.
Dongguan Yaolong Stage Production has been sued for damages under a separate writ. It is based in Changping township in Guangdong province’s Dongguan city.
A spokesman for the department said: “As there is an intended claim against the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, no comments will be given on this matter at this stage.”
The District Court in May acquitted three backstage staff from Engineering Impact and Infinity Project Management of conspiracy to defraud authorities after it found they lacked a motive to deliberately understate the weight of stage equipment, including the giant screen that collapsed.
The court also found that instead of the false data, it was inferior standards of work, shoddy stage design and an engineer’s negligence in vetting the set-up that were to blame for the collapse.
Last week, Li shared a filtered photo of himself for the first time on his Instagram account since the accident three years ago. The filter playfully altered his facial features.
The half-body shot of him sitting in a white T-shirt also showed what looked like a surgical scar near his collarbone from a tracheotomy.
“It’s me,” Li wrote in the post. “I wanted to share a few recent small moments that have lifted my spirits and see if I can get some positive energy from all of you.” - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
