Fattal Hotel Chain to Compensate Parents After Toddler Injured at Resort

A family vacation at the Leonardo Club Hotel in Tiberias ended with a toddler's injury and a lengthy legal battle, resulting in a court ruling that the Fattal hotel chain was negligent in supervising its children's club.

The incident occurred in August 2014 when the then three-and-a-half-year-old boy broke his elbow while playing in the hotel's children's club, which was marketed as a secure, staffed, and supervised play area. The boy was attempting to climb a slide when he fell. The hotel argued that signage required adult supervision and that parents were responsible for their children.

However, Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court Judge Kais Nashef ruled that the hotel created a "false impression of supervision." He found that the hotel failed to enforce basic safety procedures, leaving children inadequately supervised. The judge noted that the supervisor, reportedly a 14-year-old girl, was not present when the child fell, and the hotel admitted the play area operated "like a kindergarten." The hotel was also criticized for not calling key witnesses, including the supervisor and security officer.

Despite the hotel's negligence, the court also found the parents partially at fault, determining they were 30% responsible for the incident. The judge stated that the parents left the complex simultaneously while the mother went to breastfeed and the father went to get her water, leaving the toddler without continuous supervision. The ruling emphasized that parents cannot completely abdicate their primary duty of care.

Consequently, the hotel was ordered to pay the parents 70% of the total compensation, amounting to approximately 135,000 shekels (about $36,000 USD), plus legal fees and expenses. The total compensation awarded was 158,750 shekels. An attorney specializing in personal injury claims described the ruling as unusual, as courts typically avoid assigning financial responsibility to parents in such cases. The ruling clarifies that admitting a child to a hotel play area does not exempt parents from active supervision.