UAE | Crime

Tour operator slapped with Dh1.5m lawsuit over fatal accident

A man whose wife died in an accident during a safari trip is suing the tour operator and the driver provided by the company for alleged recklessness that caused the vehicle to crash into a big boulder by the roadside.

  • By Bassam Za'za', Senior Reporter
  • Published: 23:53 September 22, 2008
  • Gulf News

Dubai: A man whose wife died in an accident during a safari trip is suing the tour operator and the driver provided by the company for alleged recklessness that caused the vehicle to crash into a big boulder by the roadside.

The German national and his two daughters sustained injuries and his wife was killed in the incident in the Shaja area of Oman.

The Dubai Civil Court is looking into the lawsuit which the bereaved husband filed against the Dubai-based tour operator, the driver and the company that insured the vehicle, seeking Dh1.5 million in compensation.

The Arab driver, T.M., was taken to the traffic court in Oman and was jailed.

According to UAE laws, the plaintiff has the right to sue the tour operator, the driver and the insurance company in the jurisdiction of Dubai where they are all based.

The German national claimed in his lawsuit that the car swerved off the road and crashed into a rock when the driver lost control of the vehicle.

Omani authorities detained the driver and referred him to court where he was charged with speeding and reckless driving and causing the accident that led to the woman's death and injuries to other members of the family. He was sentenced and jailed in Oman.

Blood money

The plaintiff said in his lawsuit: "According to the Civil Procedures Law, the tour operator and the insurance company are responsible for the accident because the driver is employed by the operator... The girls have lost their mother and they require emotional and psychological care... therefore we are claiming Dh1.5 million in moral, emotional and fin-ancial losses including blood money."

The court will meet next month for the defendants to present their legal response to the lawsuit.

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