Accident claim news
22/03/2007

Sales assistant awarded whiplash compensation

A man who attacked a store assistant in a camera shop in Cambridge has been ordered to pay the worker £200 in whiplash compensation.

The customer was having his camera repaired at Campkins Future Vision last year in February when he started to shout abuse at one of the store's sales assistants.

The man then hit the assistant in the face and pinned him against a glass display cabinet, causing him to suffer serious personal injuries. Other sales people tried to help their colleague by hitting the attacker on the shoulder with a heavy camera but their attempts failed to restrain him.

In court, it was stated that "One of the sales assistants hit [the customer] four or five times but to no effect."

Eventually, staff managed to pull the man off their colleague and pushed him outside the shop where he then proceeded to kick the door and smash the shop window. Despite breaking the glass, it is not believed that anybody suffered injuries for which they could later make an accident claim.

Emergency services were called to the scene of the attack and the shop worker was treated for neck injuries, bruising and swelling to his face and head.

In court, the attacker who suffered from a history of mental health problems was given an 18-month community order with supervision.

He was also ordered to pay the shop worker £200 whiplash compensation for personal injuries sustained that day in the attack.