Dubai's Civil Court of First Instance has ordered a subcontractor, a main contractor and a project consultant to jointly pay Dh1 million in compensation to a worker who suffered quadriplegia after falling from a height while working on a project.The court found the three parties liable for failing to provide required safety measures and for deficiencies in supervision of the work site. It also rejected arguments challenging the court's jurisdiction and dismissed a request to join an insurance company to the case, ruling that the relevant insurance policy did not cover the accident.The court emphasized that the subcontractor's criminal conviction for wrongful injury and failure to provide necessary safety measures did not absolve the main contractor or the project consultant of civil liability, as they were proven to have responsibility for supervising and overseeing the work site.According to court documents, the worker was employed as a steel fixer by a subcontractor on a project in Abu Dhabi. He sustained severe injuries after falling from a height due to the absence of necessary preventive measures.The worker stated that an Abu Dhabi Municipality report held the main contractor and project consultant responsible for failing to monitor and conduct periodic inspections of safety requirements, particularly barriers and protections related to working at heights. The subcontractor had previously been convicted in a criminal case for wrongful injury and failure to provide prevention measures.The worker subsequently filed a civil lawsuit seeking Dh10 million in compensation for material and moral damages.The court rejected a request to include the insurance company in the proceedings, finding that the insurance policy between the insurer and the main contractor was limited to covering the contractor's risks toward the project owner and did not extend to the accident in question. The request was therefore dismissed, and the plaintiff was ordered to bear the associated costs.The court also rejected the defendants' argument that Dubai courts lacked territorial jurisdiction. It ruled that the case had been filed in accordance with the Civil Procedure Law after it was established that the headquarters of one of the defendants was located in Dubai.In its judgment, the court said the criminal ruling had conclusively established the subcontractor's fault, meaning the issue could not be reconsidered by the civil court. The civil proceedings were therefore limited to determining the extent of the damages suffered by the worker, the liability of the remaining defendants and the appropriate compensation.The court further held that the main contractor and the project consultant bore responsibility because they possessed supervisory and oversight authority over the subcontractor's work. It relied on the Abu Dhabi Municipality report, which identified shortcomings in periodic safety inspections and a failure to ensure the availability of necessary barriers for work at height.Medical evidence from Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City confirmed that the worker suffered a severe spinal injury that resulted in quadriplegia, along with other serious complications.The court found that the harm suffered by the worker extended beyond his physical injuries to include the loss of his ability to work, deprivation of his normal life, past and future treatment and rehabilitation expenses, and the psychological suffering arising from his condition and dependence on others for daily activities.The court awarded Dh1 million in compensation for all material and moral damages, after deducting temporary compensation previously awarded in the criminal case. The three defendants were also ordered to jointly pay legal interest at 5% from the date the judgment becomes final until full payment is made, in addition to court fees, expenses and legal costs.
