Israeli Court Recognizes Heart Attack as Work Injury After Owner's Fatal Illness News

A 59-year-old employee in northern Israel has been officially recognized as having suffered a work-related injury after experiencing a heart attack shortly after learning about the terminal illness of his company's owner. The Labor Disputes Court in Nof HaGalil ruled that there is a causal link between the "extraordinary event at work" and the employee's cardiac arrest.

The man, who had worked at a kibbutz-based enterprise near Beit She'an for 32 years, faced increased workload and overtime in February 2024 after the owner fell ill. The situation escalated in early March when the employee arrived at work to find he was the only one present, forcing him to assume all duties. Around 10:00 AM that day, he received a phone call informing him that the owner's illness was fatal. Overcome with emotion, he left work and suffered a heart attack approximately three hours later. He was subsequently hospitalized.

Ten months after the incident, the employee filed a claim with the National Insurance Institute seeking recognition of his heart attack as a work injury. Court-appointed experts confirmed a causal link between the stressful work event and the heart attack, as well as the subsequent "adjustment disorder with depressed and anxious reaction" the man developed. A cardiologist cited the short timeframe between the phone call and the heart attack, along with the absence of prior cardiac symptoms, as key factors.

The National Insurance Institute contested the findings, arguing the experts' investigation was flawed and that they underestimated the employee's pre-existing psychological stress. However, the judge upheld the experts' conclusions, deeming the cardiological assessment "comprehensive, detailed, and clear" despite the employee's 40-year history of heavy smoking. The judge also supported the psychiatric evaluation, which indicated the man's symptoms arose after the heart attack, suggesting the cardiac event was the primary cause of his subsequent mental health decline.

As a result, the employee's heart attack was officially deemed a work injury, and the National Insurance Institute was ordered to pay him 7,500 shekels in legal costs.