A pilot from an Arab country has been granted Dh55,000 in compensation after being assaulted and verbally abused by two restaurant employees, following a civil case in which he sought Dh6.6 million in damages for physical and emotional harm.
Court records show that the incident took place while the pilot was dining at a hotel restaurant. A verbal dispute between him and two employees escalated into a physical altercation, during which the staff allegedly hurled insults and struck him with a hard object. The attack left him with a skull fracture, brain contusion, and air buildup inside the cranial cavity. A forensic report confirmed that his injuries rendered him incapacitated for more than 20 days.
In a previous criminal case, one employee was fined Dh1,000 for public insult and the other Dh5,000 for assault. Upon appeal, both fines were raised to Dh10,000, and the ruling became final after the appeal period lapsed.
The pilot later filed a civil lawsuit against the two employees, the restaurant manager, his business partner, and the hotel’s parent company, citing professional and psychological harm, including loss of income, delayed promotions, and employment challenges due to his medical condition.
The defense argued that not all defendants were directly responsible, noting that the restaurant operated independently from the hotel.
After reviewing the case, the civil court ordered the second defendant (convicted of assault) and the hotel’s parent company to jointly pay Dh50,000, while the first defendant (convicted of verbal abuse) and the same company were jointly ordered to pay Dh5,000.
The court also imposed legal interest and fees and dismissed the case against the restaurant manager and his business partner for lack of evidence.
