UAE court orders driver and car owner to repay insurer Dh295,294 over fatal crash

In a recent ruling, an Al Ain court has mandated a driver and the vehicle's owner to reimburse an insurance company Dh295,294 ($80,406) following a fatal crash that occurred on February 17, 2024. The driver, who was operating the vehicle without a license, was found guilty of causing death, damaging others' vehicles, ignoring traffic signs, and not possessing a valid license, as reported by The National.

In 2024, the Al Ain Traffic Misdemeanours Court convicted the driver for the aforementioned offenses. Upon sentencing, the insurance company disbursed Dh295,294 to cover claims stemming from the accident: Dh227,706 ($80,400) was paid to the deceased's family; Dh29,034 ($8,040) was allocated for repairing damage to one vehicle; Dh31,784 ($8,240) was allocated for repairing another vehicle; and Dh6,770 ($1,850) was designated for ambulance costs.

The insurance firm subsequently initiated a claim against both the driver and vehicle owner under the UAE's unified motor insurance policy, citing the driver's unlawful driving and the insurer's fulfillment of compensation obligations.

Despite the driver and owner's appeals, the court denied their request to offset Dh200,000 they had previously paid to the deceased's family as diya, a Sharia-compliant form of compensation for wrongful death or grave injury. Consequently, the driver and vehicle owner were ordered to pay the insurance company Dh295,294, plus late payment interest, along with court and legal fees.