Doha, Qatar: The Investment and Trade Court's Court of Appeal has upheld a ruling awarding QR500,000 in compensation to a foreign visitor who suffered serious injuries in a limousine accident while spending his annual holiday in Qatar.
The compensation, covering material and moral damages, is to be paid by the limousine driver, the company he worked for and the insurance company covering the vehicle, according to a report published by Al Sharq newspaper.
The case involved a foreign visitor who travelled to Doha for his annual holiday and was involved in a road accident while travelling in a limousine owned by the defendant company.
The accident left him with serious injuries, including spinal fractures, a partial amputation of a finger on his left hand and partial hearing loss following damage to an eardrum.
He also incurred significant medical expenses for treatment inside and outside Qatar and lost additional income because he was unable to work.
A criminal court had previously convicted the limousine driver over the accident.
The ruling was not appealed, establishing his responsibility for the incident.
The Court of First Instance subsequently ordered the driver, the limousine company and the vehicle's insurer to jointly pay the injured visitor QR500,000 as comprehensive compensation, in addition to legal costs.
Both the insurance company and the injured visitor appealed the ruling.
The visitor had sought QR3 million in material and moral damages, arguing that his treatment costs, loss of income and the psychological and emotional suffering caused by his injuries warranted higher compensation.
In its reasoning, the court found that the driver's negligence, recklessness and failure to exercise due caution had caused the accident. It also cited his failure to comply with traffic rules and to maintain a sufficient safe distance from the vehicle ahead.
The court found that the elements required to establish liability, fault, damage and a causal link between them had been established, supporting compensation for both material and moral damages.
