Abu Dhabi: The Al Ain Court of Appeals has upheld a verdict ordering an insurance company, a mall and the mall officials to pay Dh734,958 in compensation to a family whose child sustained serious injuries due to a fall from an escalator.
The five-year-old Arab child suffered fractures to his skull from the fall, which resulted in permanent speech impairment and disability, the Al Ain Court of First Instance had said earlier.
According to court records, the incident occurred when the child fell from the escalator during a visit to the shopping mall with his family. Medical reports showed that he had sustained injuries to the skull bone and blood had accumulated in his neurological membranes or meninges. This had caused the victim to suffer from 30 per cent memory and focus impairment, 40 per cent weakness in his face muscles, speech impairments and serious debilitating injuries to his arm and leg muscles.
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The Criminal Court of First Instance had found the defendants guilty of negligence and failure to ensure visitors’ safety.
The child’s father had then filed a lawsuit demanding more than Dh10 million in compensation, to which the Civil Court of first instance had responded with a nearly Dh735,000 fine for the three defendants.
