Israeli Court Awards Woman $57,000 After Supermarket Slip and Fall

A Beersheba court has ordered the supermarket chain Shufersal to pay approximately 210,000 shekels (about $57,000 USD) in compensation to a woman who slipped and broke her arm in one of its stores. The 56-year-old woman fell in June 2018 at a Shufersal Deal branch on Twin Cities Avenue in Beersheba, sustaining injuries to her right arm after allegedly slipping on liquid detergent or soap in the household chemicals aisle.

She required medical treatment, including bone repositioning and casting, and was later diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). The woman sued Shufersal, claiming the chain was responsible for maintaining a safe environment for shoppers. She initially sought 393,000 shekels in damages.

Shufersal initially denied the fall occurred and the existence of a hazard. The company then attempted to shift blame to a third-party cleaning firm contracted for the store. They also claimed the plaintiff saw the cleaning in progress but proceeded into the area anyway.

However, Magistrate Judge Yaron Golan ruled in favor of the plaintiff, citing her testimony, her sister's statement, and a hospital report from the day of the incident that stated she "slipped on soap in the supermarket." The court also noted Shufersal's failure to provide security camera footage or an incident report, and its omission of the branch manager as a witness.

The judge determined that Shufersal, as the store owner, has a direct duty to ensure safety and could have foreseen the risk of falls from spilled liquids, particularly in the cleaning supplies section. The attempt to involve the cleaning company failed due to a lack of proof that their employees caused the hazard. The court did assign 5% of the blame to the plaintiff for personal negligence, acknowledging that she knew the store was not a sterile environment.

Ultimately, the court awarded the woman 170,201 shekels for damages, 39,184 shekels for attorney fees, and 15,000 shekels in court costs. The total compensation amounts to approximately 224,385 shekels.