A previous criminal conviction was issued in the case, and the driver was ordered to pay a fine of Dh10,000. Based on that ruling, the firm appealed and applied for what it deemed an adequate amount of money as compensation for the costs of releasing the vehicle and for the damages from not using the truck for 230 days.

The Abu Dhabi Family, Civil, and Administrative Claims Court heard the defendant, who attended the hearings in person because he had no lawyer to represent him. He told the court that he rejects the company’s claim and does not have enough money to pay.

In its claim, the company offered details of the damages to justify the amount of compensation it is asking for, which included:

• Dh50,000 paid for a reckless driving fine

• Dh3,000 in vehicle impoundment fees

• Dh2,180 in traffic violations

• Dh1,800 for towing the truck from Al Ain to Abu Dhabi

• Dh2,100 as an additional vehicle transport fee charged by Saaed

• Dh230,000 as claimed losses because the truck was out of service for 230 days (from October 13, 2025, to June 4, 2026)

What the court said

In its judgment, the court said that, based on the receipts and invoices presented by the shipping company for the first five claims, it was satisfied that they had been issued by the competent authorities. “It was also established before the court that the claimant would not have incurred those expenses but for the defendant’s fault, as all of them were a direct consequence and an inevitable result of the accident,” it clarified in the ruling.

The truck driver did not submit any evidence to refute those documents or prove that they’re not connected to the accident. Accordingly, the court confirmed that these amounts represented actual financial losses suffered by the claimant as a result of the defendant’s unlawful act.

However, the court exercised its discretion in assessing the compensation and considered that an amount of Dh30,000 constitutes fair and adequate compensation for the damage suffered by the company as a result of being deprived of the use of its vehicle throughout the period of its impoundment.

The truck driver was subsequently ordered to pay Dh89,080 in total, comprising Dh59,080 for expenses and financial damages established by the submitted documents, and Dh30,000 as compensation for the vehicle being out of service. He will also bear the court fees and expenses, as well as Dh300 in legal fees.

The court stated that the total amount of compensation represents a fair balance between compensating the driver’s firm for damages and avoiding excessive claims.