Dubai court orders a worker, his employer to pay jointly Dhs25,000 to a hospital

The Dubai Civil Court of First Instance has ruled that a worker and his employer must jointly pay Dhs25,000 to cover medical expenses incurred at a private hospital.

The ruling follows a legal dispute initiated due to the refusal to settle the hospital bill, despite services being provided.

According to case details, the private hospital filed a lawsuit to recover costs for treating the worker, who had sustained a dislocated right hip and a deep hand injury while performing his job duties.

The hospital provided treatment until the worker's condition stabilised. It demanded Dhs31,000 plus legal interest, arguing that the worker, who is an employee of the defendant company, had signed a commitment to pay for the services but left without fulfilling the payment obligation.

Court documents unveiled that the hospital had presented several records as evidence, including the patient admission form, a medical report, a payment undertaking, and a detailed invoice. Despite being duly notified, the defendants did not attend the court hearings.

During the hearings, an accounting expert was appointed by the court to evaluate the claims. The expert's report determined that the actual cost of medical services amounted to Dhs25,419, a sum lower than what was initially claimed in the lawsuit. The discrepancy in the amounts remained unexplained.

The report further revealed that the employee was under the sponsorship of the company, which had failed to provide the mandatory health insurance.

It also highlighted that the treatment did not qualify as an emergency, thus not obligating the hospital to offer care without the possibility of charging for services.

Consequently, both the employee, as the recipient of the treatment, and the employer, for neglecting to secure health insurance, were held accountable.

Based on this information, the court accepted the findings of the expert’s report and ruled that the employee and his company were jointly liable to pay Dhs25,419.

The amount is subject to a 5% annual legal interest from the date of claim submission until full payment. Additionally, they were ordered to cover all associated fees, expenses, and attorney's charges.