A civil court in Dubai has ordered several construction, insurance, and equipment companies to jointly pay Dh4 million in compensation to a 26-year-old aluminium installer who was permanently paralyzed following a workplace accident involving falling glass panels.
The incident happened in 2023 when large glass sheets fell on the worker while being loaded onto a forklift at a construction site, leaving him with severe spinal injuries. A forensic medical report confirmed that the accident caused complete paralysis of both lower limbs, fractures in the lumbar vertebrae, and loss of bladder and bowel control, resulting in a 95 percent permanent disability.
Earlier, a criminal court convicted three site supervisors for negligence and failure to enforce safety procedures during crane and forklift operations. They were each sentenced to two months in prison and fined Dh20,000, although their jail terms were suspended for three years.
One of the defendants was also ordered to be deported.
The injured worker later filed a civil lawsuit seeking Dh7 million in damages from eight parties, including the main contractor, subcontractor, equipment owner, and insurance companies, arguing that all were responsible due to contractual and supervisory links.
The subcontractor said it had already paid Dh29,800 in statutory compensation, while an insurance company claimed its policy covered only the company and not the worker.
The forklift owner argued that it had only leased the equipment and bore no responsibility once it left its possession, while other defendants contended that the accident occurred within a private worksite outside the scope of their insurance coverage.
The civil court ruled that the earlier criminal conviction proved negligence and that the accident resulted from inadequate supervision and failure to follow safety protocols.
The court held the companies jointly and severally liable due to their contractual and supervisory roles and ordered them to pay Dh4 million in compensation for material and moral damages, with 5 percent annual interest from the date the judgment becomes final until full payment, as well as legal fees and court costs.
