27-05-2025
Does an accident on commute in the UAE count as a workplace injury for insurance?
Injuries sustained during the commute to and from work in the UAE should be treated as a workplace injury and compensation should be paid accordingly, said the General Pension and Social Security Authority (GPSSA).
Insured Emiratis and/or their beneficiaries are offered a compensation payment if proven to suffer from a work-related injury while commuting to and from work or if proven to be exposed to a work-related injury, the GPSSA in the UAE said.
An official police report must be submitted in the event of an accident to determine whether the insured's injury or decease was the result of a work-related injury or otherwise, depending on the route taken while commuting to and from work.
UAE commute injury insurance
If an injury leads to death or total disability, the insured is entitled to a pension payment regardless of the employment years.
This pension amount is calculated at a maximum of 100 per cent of the insured's pension calculation salary, if the individual has completed a service period of 35 years.
According to the provisions of UAE Federal Law No. 7 of 1999 regarding pension and social security and its amendments, a compensation of AED75,000 ($20,400) is distributed to the insured's beneficiaries as per the Sharia Islamic law if the insured's decease has been proven to lead to total disability due to a work-related matter.
However, if the injury has resulted in a partial disability, the insured is entitled to a compensation equal to the percentage of the disability, multiplied by AED75,000 ($20,400).
If the insured has been proven to inflict injury on his/herself or if the injury was found to be the result of consuming prohibited substances, he/she is denied a compensation.
A compensation is also denied if found that the insured individual has violated security and safety procedures or workplace instructions, as submitted official proof by a competent authority.
Insured individuals are advised by the GPSSA to follow the rules and procedures that preserve their rights when and if involved in an accident while commuting to work, and to adhere to their office policies regarding prompt and accurate attendance and departure records to determine exact travel logistics to the workplace.
A work-related injury as per the federal pension law is defined as an injury resulting from an accident that an insured individual is exposed to during or because of a work-related injury or an accident while commuting to or from work, in addition to an occupational disease because of embarking in certain procedures and professions, or decease due to work-related fatigue or stress, concluded the GPSSA.
