UAE: Company, safety officer told to pay Dh240,000 compensation to seriously injured construction worker

Expat permanently injured after pieces from a concrete block fell on him

Ismail Sebugwaawo

Published: Tue 10 May 2022, 2:43 PM

Last updated: Tue 10 May 2022, 8:52 PM

A crane operator has been awarded Dh240,000 compensation after he was seriously injured at a construction site.

According to case details, the worker sustained severe injuries after concrete blocks fell on him on duty.

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The Abu Dhabi Family, Civil and Administrative Court instructed the construction firm and its safety officer to jointly pay the compensation to the Asian man as they were found guilty of negligence and not complying with safety measures.

The man was operating a crane at a newly constructed site in Abu Dhabi's Taweelah area when pieces from a concrete block fell from a height and hit him, according to official court documents.

He was rushed to the hospital for treatment.

A medical report showed that the worker had suffered multiple fractures in his pelvis, a broken spinal code and several cuts in the ligaments of his right knee.

The report also confirmed that the injuries were permanent and hindered him from performing his duties, especially those involving strenuous standing work.

The Abu Dhabi Criminal Court had earlier fined the construction firm Dh10,000 and the safety officer Dh5,000 after they were found guilty of negligence and not complying to safety measures, which caused the concrete blocks to fall on the victim.

Both defendants were to jointly pay the worker Dh140,000 for physical, moral and material damages.

However, the man filed a civil lawsuit against the construction firm and the safety officer, demanding that the compensation amount be increased to Dh500,000.

In his lawsuit, the former worker said he was a young man and the sole bread winner for his family, and that his inability to work due to the injuries affected him financially and mentally.

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