🦺 Kuwait Work Injury Guide: Workplace Accidents, Treatment, Compensation & Employee Rights

A workplace accident can become confusing very quickly.

The worker may be dealing with an injury while also wondering:

Kuwait's private-sector Labour Law contains specific provisions dealing with work injuries and occupational diseases.

This guide is primarily for workers covered by Kuwait Labour Law No. 6 of 2010 concerning labour in the private sector and its amendments.

Different legal or insurance systems may apply to other categories of workers.

Article 90 addresses a worker injured due to a reason connected with and during work, as well as an injury occurring on the worker's way to or from work.

Whether a particular incident legally qualifies as a work injury depends on the circumstances and applicable law.

Do not assume that every injury occurring somewhere near work automatically qualifies.

Your health comes first.

Obtain appropriate medical attention.

As soon as reasonably possible, also make sure the accident is properly documented.

Record:

If your health prevents you from handling these steps personally, the law recognizes reporting through representatives in relevant circumstances.

Do not wait unnecessarily to tell the employer about a workplace accident.

Create a reliable record showing that the accident was reported.

Depending on the situation, this may include:

Avoid relying only on a verbal conversation if a serious injury has occurred.

The statutory text identifies notification to:

The Article also provides that notification may be made by the worker if the worker's health permits, or by someone representing the worker.

This can become important if the circumstances are later disputed.

Article 91 addresses treatment expenses for covered work injuries and occupational diseases.

Subject to the statutory framework, the employer bears the injured worker's treatment expenses at the governmental hospital or private clinic determined under the Article.

The provision includes:

The interaction with applicable health-insurance provisions should also be considered.

Preserve:

Medical evidence can become central to a work-injury case.

Article 91 provides for the treating doctor's report to address matters including:

These findings can have important consequences.

Article 91 provides a mechanism for either the worker or employer to object to the medical report.

The statutory text provides for an application to the competent department within one month from notification of the report for consideration by the Medical Arbitration Committee at the Ministry of Health.

Article 92 requires employers to provide the Ministry of Health with periodic statistical statements concerning work-injury accidents and occupational diseases occurring at the establishment.

This is an employer reporting responsibility.

Article 93 provides an important wage protection.

A worker suffering a covered work injury or occupational disease is entitled to wage for the treatment period fixed by the medical doctor.

If the treatment period exceeds six months, Article 93 provides for half wage after that point until:

or

as applicable under the Article.

Preserve:

If salary changes during the treatment period, document when and why.

Kuwait Labour Law contains separate provisions for ordinary sick leave and for work injuries/occupational diseases.

If the absence results from a covered workplace injury, identify the correct legal basis rather than automatically calculating it using ordinary sick-leave percentages.

Article 94 provides for compensation to an injured worker or the worker's beneficiaries for work injuries or occupational diseases according to the applicable statutory schedule issued by ministerial resolution.

The amount cannot be determined simply from the fact that an accident happened.

Relevant medical findings and the applicable compensation framework matter.

Do not estimate your own permanent disability percentage from symptoms.

Medical assessment is critical.

The statutory framework uses medical findings in determining disability arising from the injury.

If disability is disputed, use the applicable official medical-review process.

Article 95 contains important exceptions concerning compensation.

The statutory provision addresses situations where investigation proves that:

or

The Article contains further provisions concerning conduct involving alcohol/drugs and violations of posted work-hazard and occupational-safety instructions.

Do not summarize Article 95 simply as:

"Any safety-rule violation means no compensation."

The statutory text contains qualifications, including circumstances involving death or permanent disability exceeding the threshold stated in the Article.

Work-injury compensation disputes can therefore require careful examination of both the facts and the precise statutory language.

Work injuries are not limited to sudden accidents.

The law separately recognizes occupational diseases.

These can involve illnesses associated with occupational exposure or working conditions as defined under the applicable legal framework.

Kuwait Government Online currently lists ministerial decisions concerning occupational diseases and work-injury procedures among the decisions implementing the Labour Law.

Article 96 contains an especially important provision.

Where a worker suffers an occupational disease, or relevant symptoms develop during service or within one year after leaving service, the Article provides for application of Articles 93, 94 and 95.

This means that a potentially occupational condition should not automatically be ignored merely because symptoms became apparent after employment ended.

Medical and occupational evidence remains crucial.

Article 97 continues the statutory framework concerning medical reports and the condition of an injured worker.

Medical findings are therefore not merely administrative paperwork.

They can materially affect how the injury, disability and employment consequences are assessed.

If an injury affects your ability to perform your previous duties, obtain clear medical documentation.

Do not rely on informal assumptions about:

Use the competent medical assessment process.

Depending on the case:

If colleagues or other people witnessed the accident, record their names and available contact details where lawful and appropriate.

Do not pressure witnesses to provide a particular version of events.

Record facts accurately.

If safe and lawful, photographs of the accident location or relevant conditions can sometimes help document what occurred.

But never:

Safety comes first.

For example:

Date: Time: Location: Task being performed: What happened: Injury: Witnesses: Employer notified: Medical facility: Report/reference number:

Avoid exaggeration.

A clear factual record is more useful than an emotional reconstruction made months later.

Preserve independent evidence where available.

Examples may include:

A disputed work-injury case may require official or legal determination.

Article 90 expressly includes relevant injuries occurring on the worker's way to and from work within its wording.

However, whether a particular journey or accident falls within the statutory protection depends on the facts and legal interpretation.

Do not assume every road accident occurring before or after work automatically qualifies.

Preserve:

and seek official guidance where coverage is disputed.

Do not simply abandon the matter.

Article 90 expressly allows notification by the worker where the worker's health permits and also contemplates notification by a representative.

If reporting is disputed or has not occurred, contact the competent authority promptly for the current procedure.

A work-injury case may create an employment dispute if, for example:

Where a labour complaint is appropriate, preserve the injury records together with the employment records.

Do not assume the injury itself answers every termination question.

Preserve:

Then examine the termination separately under the applicable employment rules.

A work-injury or occupational-disease claim and an employment final settlement can involve different components.

Read the document carefully.

For a serious injury or substantial dispute, qualified legal advice may be appropriate before signing.

Do not intentionally delay a serious work-injury claim.

After a workplace accident, where medically possible:

□ Obtain medical attention

□ Inform the employer promptly

□ Record date, time and location

□ Record what happened

□ Identify witnesses

□ Ensure official reporting is addressed

□ Keep accident/reference numbers

□ Preserve medical reports

□ Preserve treatment records

□ Preserve prescriptions and relevant receipts

□ Keep salary records

□ Track the treatment period

□ Keep medical assessment/disability records

□ Preserve employer correspondence

□ Check compensation issues where applicable

□ Seek official help if reporting, treatment, wages or compensation are disputed

The principal private-sector Labour Law provisions discussed in this guide are Articles 90–97 concerning work injuries and occupational diseases.

Kuwait Government Online also currently lists implementing decisions relating to occupational diseases, medical arbitration, disability percentages and workplace protection requirements.

It is not:

Work-injury cases can depend on medical findings, accident circumstances, employment status, insurance/social-security provisions, reporting, evidence, statutory provisions and official decisions.

Government procedures, forms, departments and electronic systems can also change.

For an emergency or serious injury, obtain appropriate medical assistance immediately.

For an actual work-injury claim, verify the current reporting and procedural requirements through the competent Kuwait authorities.

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