Netivot Accountant Wins 290,000 NIS Settlement Over Dramatic Elevator Fall
An accountant injured in a 2019 elevator fall in Netivot secured a 290,000 NIS settlement. Despite pre-existing conditions, an expert confirmed the accident worsened his health.
Elevator Fall Accident in Netivot Leads to 290,000 NIS Settlement
For a self-employed accountant from Netivot, a routine workday turned into a harrowing ordeal when the elevator he was riding in suddenly plummeted. The incident, which took place in February 2019, left him trapped in the dark for approximately 40 minutes before being rescued by fire crews and rushed to Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba.
Medical Complexities and Pre-Existing Conditions
The aftermath of the accident brought severe physical and psychological challenges, including mobility issues, chronic pain, and post-traumatic stress disorder. However, a lengthy legal battle ensued as the defendants and Harel Insurance argued that his deteriorating condition stemmed from a severe pre-existing muscular disease for which he already held an 85 percent disability rating granted in 2015.
"The mere existence of a pre-existing medical condition does not mean that every future deterioration in a person's condition stems from it," noted Attorney Michaela Dimertz, who represented the plaintiff.
Court-Appointed Expert and Final Compromise
A court-appointed medical expert determined that despite the severe background illness, the elevator accident directly caused a 10 percent aggravation in his functional and medical state. Following negotiations, the Beersheba Magistrate's Court validated a settlement totaling 290,000 NIS. The management companies and Harel Insurance will pay 145,000 NIS, while Schindler Netafim Elevators will pay an identical sum, without admitting liability.
