Court of cassation suspends ruling on compensation

Dubai: The ruling against a multinational company to compensate a baby girl Dh100,000 for becoming ill after consuming allegedly spoilt milk has been temporarily suspended because of a technical error in the verdict sheet.

Last week, the Dubai Court of Cassation temporarily suspended the Court of Appeal's ruling because it was explained as 'a technical error'.

The Dubai Court of Appeal had earlier confirmed the primary verdict and ordered the company to compensate a UAE national, identified as M.Z., whose daughter took ill after consuming its baby food product. It was also ordered to pay five per cent legal interest once the ruling becomes irrevocable.

The father was suing the company for Dh4 million in moral, psychological and medical compensation.

The case started when the girl, who consumed a baby food product made by the multinational company, took ill.

The baby girl threw up repeatedly and suffered a 'serious health condition' after which her father admitted her to a hospital in Sharjah. The victim was treated and doctors said she suffered from food poisoning.

The multinational company's lawyer Dr Habib Al Mulla appealed to the highest court to temporarily suspend the ruling, which contained an error, and wait until 'the error is rectified'.

"According to Civil Procedure Law article No. 175, the ruling has to be suspended temporarily, until the court looks into the matter," said the lawyer.

Gulf News has learnt that the Appeals Court is currently studying the matter and will hold a hearing next month.

A statement that was issued earlier said the company has been for more than 130 years providing its products to the markets all over the world without a single claim against it.

The statement added the product is being presently distributed without any complaint.

"Following the necessary tests, all the UAE municipalities' laboratories (Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the Directorate General of Municipalities) have declared soundness of the product and the subject matter batch code," concluded the statement.