A small claims court in Eilat has partially upheld a lawsuit by a woman who said she was injured during a massage at a local spa while on vacation in February. Judge and court president Amit Yairi found that the pressure used during the treatment was causally linked to a broken rib diagnosed a few days later.
According to the ruling, the woman bought a massage at the spa complex operated by the defendant company. She said the masseuse applied “strong and unusual pressure” to her back and rib area, causing immediate sharp pain that spread to her chest and forced the session to stop. Other employees came in after she screamed, tried to calm her down, and allegedly told her it was a “strained muscle” that would pass in a day or two.
The next day she complained to the site manager and was offered another free massage with a different therapist, but the pain did not subside. She then went to an emergency clinic, where an X-ray showed a fracture in the fifth rib on the left side. She sought 30,000 shekels for medical expenses, third-party assistance, pain and suffering, and other damages, arguing the spa was negligent and used excessive force. The company denied liability, saying she had complained of pain before treatment and that the massage was properly performed by a skilled professional. It also denied offering a refund or replacement treatment.
Yairi ruled on the written record and said the claim was only partly proven. He noted that the spa’s claim that she had pain before the massage was unsupported by evidence such as a medical questionnaire or intake form. By contrast, the offer of a free follow-up massage supported her version of events. The judge said the X-ray taken four days after the incident, together with the timing of the pain and the lack of any other traumatic event, established causation and showed the masseuse deviated from a reasonable standard of care. Still, because the plaintiff submitted only one medical document and did not support claims of ongoing expenses or disability with updated medical opinion, the court rejected compensation for chronic injury. The spa must pay her 6,000 shekels, including the cost of the original treatment, plus 300 shekels in legal costs.
