A Dubai employer has been ordered to pay Dh216,096.76 after a labourer suffered multiple fractures in a workplace fall and the company failed to provide mandatory staff health insurance. The ruling by the Dubai Court of First Instance underlines the legal duty on employers under Dubai’s health insurance law.
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Worker’s Fall in Dubai Leads to Dh216,096 Medical Bill
Court records show the worker sustained several fractures when he fell from a height at his workplace on March 22, 2025. Colleagues rushed him to a private hospital in Dubai, where he was admitted straight to the emergency department.
He spent more than two weeks receiving intensive care. During that time, doctors carried out surgeries, scans and a series of specialised treatments before he was finally discharged on April 8, 2025.
By then, the cost of emergency care, procedures, imaging tests and consultations had reached Dh216,096.76.
Signed undertaking, but no insurance
Court papers show the injured employee had signed an undertaking to cover treatment costs. Subsequent checks revealed he was not enrolled in any UAE health insurance scheme at the time of the accident.
The court held the employer liable
Under Dubai Law No. 11 of 2013, employers in Dubai must register and insure their employees with an approved health scheme. The court found the company failed to produce proof of insurance coverage for the worker.
Because the employer did not meet its statutory insurance obligation, the court held it primarily responsible for settling the hospital bill. The judgment recorded joint liability between the employer and employee, but placed the financial onus on the employer for non-compliance.
Judgment details — sums and penalties
- Amount ordered: Dh216,096.76 to the hospital.
- Interest: 5% annual interest from 8 April 2025 (date of discharge) until full payment.
- Legal costs: Court costs plus Dh500 in legal fees.
- Additional claims: The hospital’s request for Dh50,000 in material and moral compensation was rejected; the court said the 5% interest sufficed to address the delay.
Courts and regulators will enforce health-insurance obligations. Employers in the UAE must treat employee cover as a compliance priority. Failure to do so can cost firms hundreds of thousands of dirhams and lead to ancillary penalties.
