Court Rules Stroke Suffered After Workplace Argument Is Work Injury
The Tel Aviv Regional Labor Court has recognized a stroke suffered by a 60-year-old Israel Airports Authority supervisor as a work injury, linking it to a heated argument with a colleague.
The Tel Aviv Regional Labor Court has officially recognized a stroke suffered by a veteran ground services shift supervisor at the Israel Airports Authority as a work-related injury. The ruling, delivered on August 30, 2026, by Judge Yosef Rahamim, established a direct causal link between an unusually heated argument with a night shift duty officer and the stroke that occurred minutes later.
According to the lawsuit filed by attorney Alishar Feingersh, a senior partner at Markman Tomshin & Co., on behalf of the 60-year-old employee, the plaintiff had worked 12-hour shifts for many years at the Israel Airports Authority. The incident occurred approximately two years ago on a Sunday morning. Upon arriving at work around 07:00, the supervisor noticed that waste had not been cleared from an aircraft fuel storage facility.
The Heated Argument
Under normal operations, a contractor is responsible for clearing waste from the large container. However, because contractors do not work on Saturdays, Israel Airports Authority shift workers are tasked with this duty.
The supervisor called the Friday night shift duty officer to complain about the uncompleted task. The duty officer rejected the accusations, sparking a loud, minutes-long shouting match over the phone, which the court legally classified as an "exceptional event."
Medical Emergency and Expert Opinion
Minutes after the argument, the supervisor sat down to write his daily report but realized he could not hold his pen or control his right hand. He called the same colleague back, who immediately noticed the supervisor's slurred, incoherent speech and summoned medical help.
According to the medical opinion of court-appointed expert Professor Avinoam Reches, a senior neurologist and former chairman of the Israel Neurological Association, a MDA (Magen David Adom) ambulance was dispatched at 08:25. The worker was evacuated to Assaf Harofeh Hospital, where he was diagnosed with a cerebrovascular accident (CVA).
Professor Reches concluded:
"Given the close temporal proximity, there is a direct causal relationship between the exceptional event at work and the onset of the stroke."
Court Ruling
The court fully accepted the expert opinion, ruling that the stroke constitutes a work injury, and ordered the National Insurance Institute to cover the plaintiff's legal fees and court costs.
"This case is a clear example of a significant emotional trigger causing a stroke," stated attorney Alishar Feingersh. "I welcome the fact that the National Insurance Institute agreed to streamline the legal proceedings by accepting the agreed-upon facts regarding this exceptional event."
