Tel Aviv Labor Court Dismisses Self-Employed Worker's Work Accident Lawsuit

The Regional Labor Court in Tel Aviv has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a self-employed worker who was shot outside his home nearly four years ago. The plaintiff claimed he was returning home after installing an air conditioner and was shot while unloading his tools from the vehicle. National Insurance rejected the claim in August 2023, and after a request for reconsideration, the denial was upheld in January 2024.

The lawsuit was filed with the court only on November 12, 2024. The court, headed by Senior Judge Hadas Yahalom, ruled that the deadline must be counted from the first rejection letter, and that the request for reconsideration did not restart the days count. The plaintiff's claim that his medical condition prevented him from filing on time was also rejected, as no medical documents supported this and no request for a deadline extension was submitted.

The court also examined the claim that the shooting occurred during work and found evidentiary difficulties. Among other things, the plaintiff presented correspondence with his accountant regarding an air conditioner installation, but discrepancies were found in his version regarding the work date. Additionally, the invoice for purchasing the air conditioner was issued only on July 4, 2022, while an invoice issued by the plaintiff to the accountant bore the shooting date but did not match the invoice sequence.

The accountant and the plaintiff's parents, at whose home the installation allegedly took place, were not brought to testify. Although police reports confirmed the shooting happened outside his home, the court ruled this did not prove the incident occurred after a workday. Ultimately, the work accident claim was dismissed both due to delayed filing and after reviewing the evidence, with no costs awarded.