Traffic Accident Compensation Claim Translation in the UAE

Claiming from the insurer

Every vehicle registered in the UAE must carry third-party cover. The unified motor third-party liability policy (Insurance Authority Board Decision 25/2016, now published in the Central Bank of the UAE rulebook) lets the injured third party submit a claim directly to the insurer of the vehicle that caused the damage, and bars the insurer from applying any deductible to the injured third party's compensation. For death or bodily injury, the insurer's liability is the amount awarded by the court, without a cap — except for the spouse, parents and children of the insured or driver, where it is limited to AED 200,000 per person for death and to a share of that sum matching the disability percentage for injury.

Going to court

Where the driver is prosecuted, the case passes from the police to the Public Prosecution and the criminal court. A civil claim for compensation — loss of earnings, medical costs, moral damage — is decided under the Civil Transactions Law (Federal Decree-Law 25/2025, in force since 1 June 2026). The unified policy states that lawsuits arising from it may not be filed after three years from the accident, or from when the injured party learns of the damage and the person liable. Your lawyer decides which route fits your case and in what order.

The policy text is available in the CBUAE rulebook. It applies to accidents inside the UAE only.

Ask your lawyer or the insurer for the exact list before ordering translations; the court or the insurer may ask for more as the case develops.

The police report records the parties, the vehicles, the place and time and, crucially, who was found at fault. A victim who signs or relies on it without understanding it risks missing an error that later decides the claim. A legal translation renders names, plate numbers, the description of the collision and the fault finding exactly, without summarising.

For serious injuries, the disability percentage is usually set by a forensic medical or medical committee report, and it drives the amount of compensation — the unified policy itself measures injury compensation by the disability percentage in the capped cases. Medical terms, body parts and percentages must be translated precisely; our guide to medical report translation in the UAE explains how we handle clinical wording, and medical report translation for insurance covers what insurers look for. If you are asked to give a statement, you are entitled to an interpreter — see interpreters at the police and Public Prosecution.

Many victims are residents whose income is partly paid abroad, or visitors whose job, bills and treatment are all outside the UAE. To claim those losses in a UAE court, the documents normally need to be:

1. Original or certified copies from the employer, hospital or tax authority abroad.
2. Legalised in the country of issue and by its UAE embassy, then attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where the court or insurer requires it.
3. Translated into Arabic by a Ministry of Justice-licensed legal translator, with amounts, dates and currencies copied exactly.
4. Filed through your lawyer with the claim or at the stage the court asks for them.

When an accident causes death, the court usually orders the legal diya (blood money). The figure of AED 200,000 was set by Federal Law 9/2003, as reported at the time and as UAE law firms still summarise it; the court decides the amount and any further compensation in each case. The unified policy provides that the benefit due for a deceased person is paid to the heirs.

That means the family must prove who the heirs are. Expect to need the UAE death certificate, a foreign or UAE heirs' certificate, marriage and birth certificates, and powers of attorney from heirs living abroad, all legalised and translated into Arabic. See translating a death certificate when an expat dies in the UAE and powers of attorney from heirs abroad.

Consumers can escalate a complaint against an insurer to Sanadak, the independent unit set up by the Central Bank of the UAE to resolve complaints against financial institutions and insurers free of charge. According to the UAE government portal, you must first raise an official complaint with the insurer and wait 15 calendar days, and Sanadak does not take matters already before a court. As UAE law firms summarise it, a Sanadak decision can be taken further before the insurance disputes committee and the courts. Keep the policy, the claim, the insurer's reply and your evidence together, with translations of anything not in Arabic or English.

Usually not. Police accident reports are normally issued in Arabic. If you, your family, a foreign insurer or your employer need to understand it, have it translated by a legal translator rather than relying on a summary.

Yes. The unified motor third-party liability policy allows the injured third party to submit a compensation claim to the insurer of the vehicle that caused the damage. Whether to settle or go to court is a question for your lawyer.

AED 200,000 is the figure set by Federal Law 9/2003 and still cited by UAE law firms. The court decides diya and any additional compensation in each case, so confirm with your lawyer.

For a UAE court, yes: documents in other languages are filed with a legal Arabic translation, and the court or insurer may also require them to be legalised in the country of issue and attested in the UAE.

Arabic⇄English legal translation is AED 60 per 200-word page (excl. VAT), with same-day delivery available. Urgent files with a court or settlement deadline can be scheduled with you in advance.

We translate Arabic police accident reports, forensic and medical committee reports, hospital records, salary and tax documents, foreign medical bills and heirs' documents for insurers, lawyers and the UAE courts, and we keep names, dates and figures consistent across the whole file. We do not give legal advice or act as your lawyer, and we do not notarise documents. Service details: insurance claim translation.

This article is general information about the translation and document side of the matter. It is not legal or medical advice. Laws, procedures and fees change; confirm current requirements with the authority, court, hospital or embassy concerned, and take professional advice on your own case.

Send us the police report, medical reports and the list your lawyer or the insurer has given you, and tell us who will read each translation. Smart World Legal Translation – Sole Proprietorship L.L.C. (SWLT) is a UAE Ministry of Justice-licensed legal translation company in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, led by Dr. Hani Elimam. Our federal accreditation is accepted across the UAE, including by Dubai Courts, and we hold exclusive interpretation contracts with the UAE Federal Courts and the Federal Public Prosecution. Arabic⇄English legal translation is AED 60 per 200-word page (excl. VAT), with same-day delivery available. Send your documents on WhatsApp (+971 50 864 8439), email info@swlt.ae, or use our contact page.