An Abu Dhabi court has ruled that a truck driver must pay his employer Dh89,080 in compensation following a serious traffic accident caused by running a red light. The incident, which occurred in October 2025, led to the vehicle being impounded and resulted in a prior criminal conviction and a Dh10,000 fine for the driver. Seeking to recover costs, the shipping company initially demanded Dh230,000, citing various expenses including impoundment fees, traffic fines, towing charges, and the lost revenue incurred while the truck remained out of service for 230 days.

During the proceedings, the driver appeared without legal representation and argued that he lacked the financial means to cover such a significant claim. While the court acknowledged the company's submitted receipts for direct expenses—which totaled Dh59,080—it rejected the full amount requested for the loss of vehicle use. Instead, the judge determined that Dh30,000 was a fair and reasonable sum for the operational downtime, bringing the total judgment to Dh89,080. The court emphasized that this ruling aims to strike a balance between compensating the employer for legitimate losses and preventing excessive financial claims against the employee.