Dubai Court orders insurer to pay Dh83,035 in Range Rover crash dispute

Dubai: A Dubai civil court has ordered an insurance company to pay Dh83,035 to another insurer in a dispute over compensation for a Range Rover that was totally damaged in a traffic accident,  Emarat Al Youm Arabic daily reported.

The ruling came after the plaintiff, an insurance company, sued the insurer of the vehicle deemed responsible for the crash, seeking repayment of Dh 83,000 plus legal interest. The plaintiff said its client’s Range Rover suffered severe damage in the accident and that a police report confirmed the client bore no responsibility.

Under the owner’s policy, the plaintiff assessed the vehicle’s market value, deducted depreciation and paid the client Dh124,535 in compensation. The damaged vehicle was later sold at auction for Dh41,500, leaving Dh83,035 to be recovered from the insurer of the at-fault vehicle.

The defendant insurer contested the claim, arguing that the vehicle’s fair market value was only Dh75,000 and that any payout should reflect that amount after deducting salvage and depreciation. The company also requested the appointment of an expert to assess the damage.

The court-appointed expert concluded the damage rendered the Range Rover a total loss, significantly affecting its chassis. The court found the plaintiff had lawfully compensated its policyholder and was entitled to recover the balance from the defendant.

The court obliged the defendant insurer to pay Dh83,035 to the plaintiff insurer, in line with the UAE’s unified motor vehicle insurance policy terms.