A Dubai civil court ordered several companies involved in a construction project to pay four million dirhams to a young worker who was permanently disabled at 95% of his physical capacity after large glass panels fell on him while he was working on the site.

The incident was caused by a failure to follow safety procedures while operating a forklift.

The case dates back to 2023, when the 26-year-old worked as an aluminum engraver for a subcontractor in charge of installing the project's glass and aluminum panels.

While loading the glass panels onto the forklift, several of them fell on him, causing serious injuries that necessitated hospitalization.

According to a forensic report, the worker suffered complete paraplegia in both lower limbs, fractures in his lumbar vertebrae, and loss of bowel and bladder control, resulting in a permanent disability of 95% of his general capacity.

Following the accident, several supervisors and drivers were referred to the Criminal Court, which convicted three of the worker's supervisors on charges of endangering the victim's physical safety through negligence and failure to take safety precautions while on the job.

The court sentenced them to two months in prison and a 20,000 dirham fine each, with their prison sentences suspended for three years. 

One of the defendants was also ordered deported.  The Court of Appeal upheld the verdict and declared it final.

Based on the criminal ruling, the worker filed a civil suit in Dubai's courts, seeking seven million dirhams in compensation from eight different entities, including contracting companies, insurance companies, and equipment operators.

In his lawsuit, he stated that the company for which he worked subcontracted with the main contractor, and that the crane that caused the accident was owned by another company and insured by a different insurance company, resulting in joint and several liability for all parties.

The defendants, in turn, attempted to deny liability.  The first contracting company maintained that it had fulfilled its obligations and paid the workers' compensation of 29,800 dirhams, whereas the insurance company argued that the claim against it was inadmissible because there was no direct relationship between it and the worker, emphasizing that the insurance policy was with the company, not with individuals.

Meanwhile, the crane owner attempted to avoid responsibility by claiming that it had delivered the equipment under a lease agreement and that its connection to it had terminated after delivery.  Other companies confirmed that the accident occurred on the job site, not on the road, and thus fell outside the scope of the commercial insurance policy.

After reviewing all parties' documents and legal memoranda, the civil court explained in its ruling that the previous criminal conviction was conclusive evidence of negligence and fault on the part of the defendants and their affiliated companies, based on the forensic report and criminal judgment issued against the accused employees.

The court determined that the accident was caused by negligent supervision and a failure to take safety precautions during crane operation, and that the defendant companies are liable due to their contractual or insurance relationship, or as employers of their employees.

Based on the foregoing, the court ruled that the defendant companies, namely the main contractor, the subcontractor, the two insurance companies, the crane, and its driver, must jointly and severally pay four million dirhams to the plaintiff as compensation for material and moral damages, plus legal interest at a rate of 5% per year from the date the judgment becomes final until full payment.  It also required them to pay the fees, expenses, and attorney fees.