Stray Dog Disaster: Morocco’s Highway Giant Slapped with 150,000 Dirham Fine for Negligence

The court ordered ADM to pay the driver of the vehicle and his passenger a total financial compensation of 154,576.22 dirhams, including 121,576.22 dirhams for the material damage suffered by their Mercedes-branded car, and 33,000 dirhams for the bodily harm suffered by the mother and her son.

The court made this decision based on the technical and medical expert reports which confirmed that the cause of the accident was related to a lack of maintenance of the motorway’s protective barriers, which allowed the stray dog to make its way onto the road. The cost of repairing the vehicle exceeded 127,000 dirhams, according to the technical reports, and the two victims were hospitalized for a period of 28 days for the mother and 25 days for the son, according to the medical certificates.

The National Motorway Company has already been held responsible for several road accidents by the courts, which have cited a "failure to fulfill the obligation of prevention and maintenance" of the motorways, threatening the safety of users. Justice generally bases its decisions on Articles 77 and 79 of the Code of Obligations and Contracts, which require any person or public institution to bear the damages resulting from negligence or failure to fulfill their obligations.