The Federal Supreme Court has overturned a lower court ruling awarding Dh3 million in compensation to a father who lost three sons in a traffic accident, citing insufficient explanation of how the damages were calculated, while upholding the employer company’s liability.
The case involves a crash caused by a company-owned truck driven by an employee who was later convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol, resulting in the deaths of the three sons and injuries to other family members.
The court of first instance had ordered the company and driver, jointly, to pay Dh3 million in compensation plus Dh600,000 in blood money, with interest. The appeals court upheld this decision.
The company challenged the ruling before the Federal Supreme Court, arguing it should not be held liable because the accident occurred outside working hours on a weekly holiday.
The Supreme Court rejected that argument, affirming the company’s responsibility as the employer and custodian of the vehicle. However, it accepted the challenge to the compensation award, noting that the judgment failed to detail the elements of material damage or the basis for its valuation, and referred the case back for reconsideration.
