A 68-year-old man successfully sued Apple for deleting precious photos from his phone

Gary Stone

Deric White, 68, lost all of his data when he took his iPhone in for repair at the Apple Store.

The plaintiff, Deric White, sought £5,000 ($7,500) in damages after he took his iPhone 5 into the Regent Street Apple Store in London for repair. Instead of fixing the phone, a store employee deleted everything.

White was awarded £1,200 ($1,800) and around £800 ($1,200) in costs.

Complimentary Tech Event

Transform talent with learning that works

Capability development is critical for businesses who want to push the envelope of innovation.Discover how business leaders are strategizing around building talent capabilities and empowering employee transformation.Know More

"My life was saved on that phone," he told The Sun. "It was only after staff fiddled around they asked if I'd backed my things up."

Apple argued in court that White has "not demonstrated how he suffered any loss" when his data, which includes 15 years worth of contacts, was deleted. The Court found differently, however.

White will put the £1,200 towards a holiday in Cornwall, on the South Coast of England. "It's not so much the money that I have won, but it's the moral victory," he said. "It's absolutely fabulous, it's a monumental victory."

Get THE MID-YEAR SMARTPHONE MARKET REPORT now! A comprehensive look at the global smartphone market from BI Intelligence by platform, vendor, country and more. Insights into the power struggles between the biggest platforms and the underdogs. Get the Report Here »