Herzliya Court Rejects Insurers' Lawsuits Against Elderly Couple Over Safed Fire
The Herzliya Magistrate's Court dismissed insurance lawsuits against an elderly couple over a 2021 Safed fire, rebuking companies for a frivolous four-year legal battle.
A devastating electrical fire that broke out five years ago in an apartment building in Safed has culminated in a sweeping legal victory for an elderly couple against three of Israel's major insurance companies. The Herzliya Magistrate's Court completely dismissed the insurers' consolidated lawsuits, issuing a scathing rebuke against the corporations for dragging the vulnerable couple through four years of grueling litigation—a period during which the wife sadly passed away.
The Incident and Insurers' Claims
The fire occurred in October 2021 at a residential building on David Elazar Street in Safed, causing extensive property damage to several apartments and common areas. Insurance giants including Clal and Migdal, having compensated their respective policyholders, sought to recoup their payouts. They filed lawsuits claiming that a water leak originating from the elderly couple's apartment had caused the electrical short-circuit.
However, the defendants, represented by attorney Shlomo Glick, firmly rejected the allegations. They pointed out that the apartment was not even legally owned by them, but rather registered in their son's name. Already in May 2022, appraiser Naama Perach submitted an expert opinion on behalf of the couple, establishing that the apartment's plumbing is located on the completely opposite side of the building with zero connection to the electrical cabinet.
Court-Appointed Expert and Severe Judicial Rebuke
The decisive turning point arrived in July 2026, when court-appointed fire investigator Avner Barzilai issued his definitive report. Barzilai explicitly determined that the apartment was not situated above the electrical cabinet, and that the physical distances and plumbing layout completely ruled out any causal link between water dripping and the source of the fire.
Despite these unequivocal findings and the court's explicit recommendation to drop the cases, the insurance companies stubbornly refused to back down, forcing the consolidation and continuation of five separate lawsuits. Senior Registrar Sabin Ohana ruled that the insurers' decision to "persist in a frivolous proceeding for over three years against the defendants constitutes an abuse of legal process." The court dismissed all consolidated claims and ordered the insurance companies to pay substantial legal costs, taking into account the exhaustive efforts required by the defendants to defend themselves.
Standing Up to Industry Giants
Attorney Shlomo Glick emphasized that the verdict proves individuals must never fear legal battles, even when facing corporate giants with virtually limitless resources.
"Insurance companies frequently deploy scattergun litigation tactics across various courts simply to pressure innocent citizens," Glick stated.
He concluded that resolute strategic management, from securing the consolidation of the files to dismantling the alleged causal link over a four-year struggle, ultimately secured the decisive victory. "In the legal world, no lawyer can guarantee an outcome in advance, but what can and must be guaranteed to a client is total dedication, a firm backbone, and an uncompromising, stubborn fight," Glick added.
