A restaurant owner and two workers have been ordered by an Al Ain court to pay Dh50,000 in compensation to two young men who suffered chemical burns.
The men were walking through a passage behind the restaurant — which they used to exit the building where they lived — when they slipped and fell on the hazardous cleaning substance.
According to the case details, the chemical was intended for unblocking drains but had been used to clean the passage. It came into contact with the men’s bodies after they slipped, leaving one with third-degree burns and the other with second-degree burns.
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The incident led to criminal proceedings against the defendants, who were convicted.
Claim for compensation
The victims then pursued a claim for compensation. They filed a civil lawsuit against the restaurant owner and two employees, seeking Dh300,000 for the physical and emotional harm they had suffered. The first claimant sought Dh200,000, while the second requested Dh100,000.
Their claim centred on the injuries caused by the chemical and the consequences of the treatment they underwent.
A forensic doctor appointed in the civil proceedings examined the effects of the burns. The assessment found that the first victim had been left with skin disfigurement affecting his left arm, back, right flank and both legs following the incident and subsequent surgical treatment.
His impairment was assessed at 15 per cent of overall skin function. The second victim suffered scarring affecting his arms and legs, with the impairment assessed at 5 per cent.
The defendants contested the compensation claim. Their lawyer submitted a response asking the court to dismiss the lawsuit and order the two claimants to pay the court costs and legal fees.
The Al Ain Civil, Commercial and Administrative Court said the criminal judgment had already established the incident, its legal character and the defendants’ responsibility.
Those findings concerned the same events on which the compensation claim was based. The civil court was therefore bound by the criminal judgment and could not reconsider matters it had settled.
After considering the medical findings, the court awarded Dh30,000 to the first victim and Dh20,000 to the second for the harm they had suffered.
It held the defendants jointly liable for the payments and ordered them to pay court costs and Dh300 in lawyers’ fees.