Employer’s insurance failure costs Dh216,000 after worker’s fall

Dubai: A Dubai court has ordered an employer to pay more than Dh216,000 in medical expenses after failing to provide health insurance to an employee who was injured in a fall from height.

The Dubai Court of First Instance ruled that both the employer and the employee are jointly liable for the unpaid hospital bill but held the employer legally responsible under Dubai’s health insurance law.

According to court records, the employee was admitted to a private hospital last year on March 22 after suffering multiple fractures in a fall from height. The case was classified as an emergency.

The hospital provided medical care and necessary examinations until the patient was discharged on April 8, 2025.

The total cost of treatment reached Dh216,096.76, the court heard.

Documents submitted to the court showed that the employee had signed an undertaking accepting responsibility for payment. However, it later emerged that he was not covered by health insurance in the UAE, despite being employed by the first defendant company.

Under Dubai Law No. 11 of 2013 on Health Insurance, employers are legally required to provide health insurance coverage for their employees. In emergency cases, employers must bear the cost of medical services if an employee is not insured.

The court found no evidence that the worker had been enrolled in any health insurance scheme.

Citing established Court of Cassation rulings, the judge stated that the law aims to ensure healthcare access for all residents and that employers cannot avoid liability where they have failed to insure their workers.

“The source of the employer’s obligation in emergency cases is the law,” the verdict noted.

The court ruled that both the employer and employee are jointly liable for the outstanding amount of Dh216,096.76.

However, since the employer had failed to enroll the worker in mandatory health insurance, it was held responsible alongside the employee for the full amount.

The court also awarded 5 per cent annual interest on the amount, calculated from April 8, 2025 — the date of discharge — until full payment is made.

The hospital had additionally sought Dh50,000 in compensation for material and moral damages resulting from delayed payment.

But the court rejected the claim, stating that the awarded interest sufficiently compensates for the delay.

The defendants were also ordered to pay court costs and Dh500 in legal fees.