Personal Injury Lawyer Israel
· By Adv. Reut Eliyahu, Advocate & Notary
Compensation claims after road accidents, work injuries, falls and medical negligence in Israel, for clients in Israel and abroad. Every matter is handled personally by Adv. Reut Eliyahu.
Road accidents · Work injuries · Falls in public places · Medical negligence · Insurance claims
Personal injury in Israel at a glance
A personal injury lawyer in Israel claims compensation for people hurt in road accidents, at work, in public places or by medical negligence. Road accident victims are compensated regardless of fault under the Road Accident Victims Compensation Law, 5735-1975, through the compulsory insurance of the vehicle involved. Other injuries are claimed in negligence under the Civil Wrongs Ordinance [New Version]. A damages claim must be filed within seven years; a claim to the National Insurance Institute after a work injury should be filed within 12 months.
Get an assessment of your claim →How do I claim personal injury compensation in Israel?
After a road accident, through the vehicle's compulsory insurance, regardless of fault; after any other injury, by a negligence claim against whoever was responsible - Sections 2 and 3, Road Accident Victims Compensation Law, 5735-1975, and Sections 35 and 36, Civil Wrongs Ordinance [New Version]. A damages claim must be filed within seven years, and an injury at work also opens a claim to the National Insurance Institute.
- Medical care and records: treatment first, and every document kept.
- Report the event: to the police after a road accident, to the employer after a work accident.
- Claim: from the insurer, the National Insurance Institute or the responsible party.
- Settle or sue: once the medical picture is clear, not before.
Every injury and every claim is different. Schedule a consultation →
| Road accident | Compensation for bodily injury regardless of fault, covered by the vehicle's compulsory insurance (Section 2, Road Accident Victims Compensation Law, 5735-1975) |
|---|---|
| Only route | A road accident victim with a claim under that law has no separate negligence claim for that injury (Section 8) |
| Limits on compensation | Loss of earnings counted on income of up to three times the national average wage; pain and suffering by a formula in regulations (Section 4) |
| Interim payments | On a written demand, payments on account for medical expenses and maintenance where there is a real need (Section 5) |
| No insurance or unknown driver | The Road Accident Victims Compensation Fund (Karnit) pays (Section 12) |
| Other injuries | A negligence claim against the person or body responsible (Sections 35 and 36, Civil Wrongs Ordinance [New Version]) |
| Shared fault | Outside road accident claims, damages are reduced to the extent the court considers just (Section 68) |
| Work injury | Work injury benefits from the National Insurance Institute, and a damages claim where the employer or another party was negligent |
| Limitation period | Damages claims: seven years (Section 5, Limitation Law, 5718-1958); for a minor, from age 18 (Section 10). National Insurance work injury claim: within 12 months |
| Medical expert | In a road accident claim, appointed by the court; the parties do not file their own medical opinions (Section 6A) |
| Lawyer's fee, road accidents | Capped by law (Section 16, Road Accident Victims Compensation Law) |
Why You Need a Personal Injury Lawyer - Not Just a Claim
After an injury the insurer moves quickly. Its first offer is often made before the medical picture is clear, and signing it ends the claim. A lawyer's job is to establish what the injury will cost over the years ahead - treatment, lost income, help at home - and to prove it with medical and financial evidence.
Adv. Reut Eliyahu represents injured clients in road accident claims, work injuries and negligence claims, and handles each case personally. Clients abroad are served in English, without travelling to Israel for most of the process. Injury claims are part of our civil practice in Israel.
Car & Motorcycle Accidents
Drivers, passengers, pedestrians and riders are compensated through the compulsory insurance of the vehicle: medical costs, lost earnings, help at home and pain and suffering.
Workplace & Construction
Work injury benefits from the National Insurance Institute, and a damages claim against a negligent employer, contractor or site owner, planned together.
Slip, Fall & Public Space
Falls on pavements, in shops, schools and public buildings. A local authority or owner that did not keep the place reasonably safe can be liable in negligence.
Insurance & Malpractice
Medical negligence claims, and disputes with insurers over personal accident and disability policies that were refused or underpaid.
Since 2007
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From First Contact to Full Recovery
Most injury claims in Israel pass through the same five stages. The timing depends mainly on the medical recovery: a claim is valued once the injury has stabilised.
First Consultation
We review what happened, the medical documents and any offer you have received, and tell you which route applies: a road accident claim, a work injury claim, a negligence claim, or more than one.
Evidence & Medical Documentation
Bring what you have, even if it is incomplete: the emergency room discharge summary, later medical records, the police report, the other driver's details and insurance certificate, photographs, pay slips for the three months before the injury, and receipts for every expense. Missing documents can usually be obtained later.
Interim Payment & Benefits
In a road accident case we ask the insurer for interim payments where urgent needs justify them (תשלום תכוף). After a work accident, the claim to the National Insurance Institute is filed alongside.
Negotiation or a Claim in Court
Once the medical picture is clear, we present the claim to the insurer. If the offer does not reflect the injury, we file suit. In road accident cases the court appoints the medical expert who assesses the disability.
Compensation
The compensation is paid, and the fee is deducted as set out in the written fee agreement signed at the start.
Injured in Israel and received an offer?
Send it to us before you sign. We will tell you how it compares with what the law provides for your injury.
Car and motorcycle accident compensation in Israel
Israel compensates road accident victims under a no-fault law, the Road Accident Victims Compensation Law, 5735-1975. The question is not who caused the accident, but which insurer pays and how much the injury is worth.
Who pays
Whoever uses a vehicle is liable for bodily injury in a road accident in which it was involved, regardless of fault (Section 2). Where several vehicles are involved, each driver is liable for the people travelling in his own vehicle, and a pedestrian can claim from all the drivers jointly (Section 3). The liability is covered by the vehicle's compulsory insurance. When the driver is never identified, had no valid insurance, or the insurer is in liquidation, the Road Accident Victims Compensation Fund, Karnit, pays (Section 12).
What is compensated
Medical and care costs, loss of earnings and earning capacity, help from others, and pain and suffering. The law limits two heads of damage: loss of earnings is counted on income of up to three times the national average wage, and pain and suffering follows a formula set in regulations (Section 4). Where there is a real need, the insurer must make interim payments on a written demand, and the court can order them if it does not (Section 5).
This law is the injured person's only route for the injury - there is no separate negligence claim for it (Section 8). The disability is assessed by a medical expert appointed by the court; the parties do not file their own medical opinions, and a disability already set under another law, such as by National Insurance, generally binds the court (Sections 6A and 6B). That is why the medical records gathered early in the case matter so much.
Motorcycle and scooter riders
A motorcycle or scooter rider injured in Israel is compensated like any other driver, including when a car caused the crash. A few victims are excluded, for example someone who caused the accident deliberately, drove without permission, drove without a valid licence or without insurance, or used the vehicle to commit a crime (Section 7), so the licence is one of the first documents we check.
Two clients were hurt in a road accident, with injuries to the neck and head. The insurer's settlement offer did not reflect the injuries, so we filed a claim and conducted it in court. The case ended with compensation above what the clients expected, to their full satisfaction.
A client was hit by a car while the car was parking. We sent a demand to the insurer, and the matter ended quickly in a settlement, without a claim in court.
Every case turns on its own facts. These cases do not predict the outcome of another.
Work accidents and National Insurance
An injury at work usually leads to two separate claims, and they have to be planned together.
The National Insurance Institute
An employee injured at work is entitled to work injury benefits from the National Insurance Institute (Bituach Leumi) under the National Insurance Law [Consolidated Version], 5755-1995: an injury allowance for the period of incapacity and, where a lasting disability remains, a disability benefit set after an assessment by its medical committee. The employer completes and signs its part of the claim form (Form BL/250), and the injured employee files the claim with the Institute within 12 months of the injury.
A claim against the employer
Where the accident resulted from negligence - an unsafe site, missing safety equipment or training, or a breach of safety regulations (Section 63, Civil Wrongs Ordinance [New Version]) - the employee can also claim damages from the employer, a contractor or a site owner. Benefits paid by National Insurance are taken into account in the damages.
An accident on the way to or from work is usually both a work accident and a road accident. The employee receives work injury benefits, including an injury allowance for up to 91 days, and also claims under the no-fault road accident law. The National Insurance benefits are taken into account in the road accident compensation, so the two claims are valued together.
Falls, public places and medical negligence
Outside road accidents, the injured person has to show that someone owed a duty of care and failed to meet it (Sections 35 and 36, Civil Wrongs Ordinance [New Version]). If the injured person was also at fault, the court reduces the damages to the extent it considers just (Section 68).
Falls and public places
A broken pavement, an unmarked hole, a wet floor in a shop. A local authority or an owner that did not keep the place reasonably safe can be liable. The usual seven-year limitation period applies to the State and local authorities as well, but early notice and photographs of the hazard make the claim easier to prove.
Medical negligence
A medical malpractice claim needs a medical expert opinion, attached to the statement of claim (Regulation 87, Civil Procedure Regulations, 5779-2018), showing that the treatment fell below the accepted standard and caused the harm, or that the patient was not properly informed of the risks. The patient is entitled to the medical records (Section 18, Patient's Rights Law, 5756-1996). Where the harm was discovered only later, the limitation period can run from the discovery, but not beyond ten years from the damage (Section 89(2), Civil Wrongs Ordinance [New Version]).
Insurance policies
A personal accident or disability policy is a contract with the insurer, separate from a damages claim. A claim under a policy generally has a shorter limitation period, three years from the insured event, or five years for long-term care insurance (Section 31, Insurance Contract Law, 5741-1981), so it should be filed early. A dispute over the policy itself is a dispute over an insurance contract.
Injured in Israel - clients in Israel and abroad
An injury suffered in Israel is claimed in Israel, under Israeli law. Where the client lives changes how we work together, not the claim.
Clients in Israel
English-speaking clients in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and across Israel work with Adv. Eliyahu directly, from the first call to the medical expert's report. Hebrew documents from the police, the hospital or the insurer are explained before you sign anything, and meetings can be held at our Herzliya Pituach office or by video when travel is difficult.
Clients anywhere in the world
Tourists, students and Israelis living abroad who were hurt during a stay in Israel. A road accident in Israel is covered by the Israeli compulsory insurance of the vehicle, tourists included. We run the claim here while you recover at home and use medical records from abroad, with a translation where needed; an examination by the court's medical expert may require a visit. We tell you at the start how to sign the power of attorney from where you are.
How Legal Fees Are Structured
The fee depends on the kind of claim, and it is agreed in writing before any work begins.
Road Accidents
A percentage of the compensation, together with a file-opening fee, as is common in these cases - all within the maximum the law allows (Section 16, Road Accident Victims Compensation Law).
National Insurance Claims
Lawyers' fees in claims to the National Insurance Institute are also limited by law. The fee is set within that limit and agreed in advance.
Other Injury Claims
Set by the nature of the work, and agreed in writing in advance. Expert opinions and court fees are separate costs, and we tell you about them before they arise.
Adv. Reut Eliyahu
Founder · LL.B & MBA · Licensed Notary · Registered Arbitrator · Israel Bar member since 2007
Adv. Reut Eliyahu leads Eliyahu & Co. Law Office in Herzliya Pituach, with a practice in civil, commercial and real estate law. In injury cases she represents drivers, passengers, pedestrians, employees and patients against insurers, employers and other responsible parties, from the first assessment through negotiation and, where needed, a claim in court.
Clients work with her directly, whether they live in Israel or were injured during a stay here. She reads every insurer's offer against the medical evidence before advising whether to accept it. The firm serves clients in English, Hebrew and Spanish. About the firm →
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions from injured clients in Israel and abroad about compensation and the claim process in Israel.
Injured in Israel? Talk to us before you sign.
An honest view of what your claim is worth before you sign anything, under Israeli law.
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4 HaOgen St.
Herzliya Pituach, Israel
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Hurt in an accident in Israel? Let's look at your claim together.
Road and motorcycle accidents, work injuries, falls and medical negligence, for clients in Israel and abroad - handled personally by Adv. Reut Eliyahu. Free first consultation, no obligation.
Israel office Sun-Thu 08:00-19:00, Fri 08:00-13:00 · Herzliya Pituach, by video or fully remote · Fees agreed in writing in advance