
Court Cites UAE Medical Liability Law, Raises Payout to Dh1.4 Million in Malpractice Case Against Hospital and Doctor
Appeal court rejects counter-claims of no negligence; rules that family of deceased breadwinner suffered major financial and emotional loss.

The Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court has increased the compensation awarded to the family of a man who died due to medical negligence, raising the payout from Dh1 million to Dh1.4 million.
The case was initiated by the widow and children of the deceased, who filed a civil claim against a hospital and an intensive care physician. They sought Dh2 million in damages for moral, psychological and material harm, in addition to Dh200,000 in blood money.
A medical liability committee found both the hospital and the doctor equally responsible. The report noted that the hospital failed to staff its intensive care unit with qualified specialists, relying instead on a general practitioner to oversee critical patients. The physician was also faulted for failing to recognise the patient’s declining condition and not taking timely action, which led to his death.
An earlier ruling by the Court of First Instance had ordered the defendants to jointly pay Dh1.2 million in blood money, along with court costs and fees. Both parties appealed -- the family seeking higher compensation due to their dependency on the deceased’s income, and the defendants contesting liability and alleging lack of direct causation.
In its latest judgment, the Court of Appeal sided with the family, acknowledging the significant emotional and financial impact caused by the death of the household’s primary provider. The court noted that the children are still in education with no independent income, and that under law and tradition, the father’s support is essential until adulthood or marriage.
“Their loss is not just financial; they have been deprived of his care and affection,” the court stated.
The appeal court rejected the defendants’ counter-claims that no malpractice occurred, affirming the medical committee’s findings. While the error was not classified as gross negligence, it directly contributed to the death.
The court ordered the hospital and the doctor to jointly pay Dh1.4 million in compensation, to be divided equally among the heirs, and assigned the costs of the appeal to the defendants.
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