UAE court orders Dh200,000 payout for injured Emirates Palace guest

A British woman who suffered repeated epileptic seizures after being hit by a falling hotel room panel has been awarded a Dh200,000 payout.

Natalie Creane, a Dubai resident originally from Essex, has suffered repeated epileptic seizures since the accident in July 2008.

A British woman injured by a falling hotel room panel at Emirates Palace has been awarded Dh200,000.

Natalie Creane, a Dubai resident originally from Essex, has suffered several epileptic seizures since the accident, which happened when she and her husband were staying at the hotel in July 2008.

She was arranging her shoes at the bottom of a wardrobe when a wooden rack, weighing 2.2 kilograms, fell on her head, causing brain damage that resulted in her suffering from epileptic seizures and fainting.

Mrs Creane, her husband, father and other supporters – who have run a social-media campaign called “Justice for Natalie” – arrived at the court yesterday wearing matching blue ribbons.

The Civil Court found the seizures resulted from the injury, and ordered Emirates Palace, the Abu Dhabi National Insurance Company, and Kempinsky, the company that runs Emirates Palace, to pay Dh100,000 for the injury to her health, and a further Dh100,000 for emotional damages.

It did not order any payment for her medical costs, as she had not provided receipts.

Mrs Creane had asked for Dh20?million compensation from the hotel, which she said was negligent in failing to install the rack properly.