Shot customer sues NP

A TACARIGUA labourer who was shot in his stomach and arm during a robbery at a NP Quik Shoppe four years ago has filed a lawsuit against National Petroleum (NP) Marketing Company Limited for damages for personal injuries and losses. Lutchman Singh, 29, of Ragbir Street, Dinsley Avenue, has sued NP claiming for damages by reason that the company breached the common law duty to exercise reasonable care to prevent damage to him while he was a customer at the Quik Shoppe situated in his neighbourhood. In a writ filed on his behalf in the Sub-registry, San Fernando, by the law firm Dipnarine Rampersad and Co, Singh stated that on October 13, 2001, around 10 p m he entered the Quik Shoppe and purchased drinks.

Singh stated that he was making his way out of the store when he was attacked by an armed bandit, who at gunpoint, forced him and others into a small room on the premises and locked the door. Singh stated that the armed bandit returned and demanded money which was kept in the store’s safe. The female employees began to open the safe and had stopped “when the bandit angrily pointed and jammed the gun he was holding to the plaintiff and shot him in the stomach and arm”, the writ stated. Singh stated the female employees then immediately opened the safe and the bandit took the money and escaped.

Singh underwent emergency surgery at hospital to treat the wound to his stomach and to extract bullet fragments embedded in his arm. He stated that as a result he has since suffered 20 percent disability and had to give up his job which required manual dexerity or the constant heavy use of his hands. Singh’s attorneys are contending that NP failed to exercise any or reasonable care to ensure that Singh was reasonably safe in using the said premises as a customer and/or to prevent damage to the plaintiff from unusual danger.