Tamra Municipality to Pay Over $500,000 for Child's Eye Injury
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
The Tamra Municipality must pay over 2 million shekels in compensation to a teenager who lost vision in his right eye after falling on a hazardous path near his home in October 2020. The Haifa District Court found the municipality negligent for failing to maintain the path. The boy, who was 10 at the time of the accident, suffered severe injuries requiring multiple surgeries. The court assigned 15% contributory negligence to the boy but dismissed claims against his parents.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Tamra Municipality ordered to pay over 2 million shekels for a child's eye injury.
- A 10-year-old boy lost vision in his right eye after falling on a damaged path.
- The court found the municipality negligent for failing to maintain the path.
- The boy suffered the injury in October 2020 and underwent multiple surgeries.
- The court assigned 15% contributory negligence to the boy.
- Legal fees and court costs add over 400,000 shekels to the award.
The Tamra Municipality has been ordered by the Haifa District Court to pay over 2 million shekels (approximately $550,000) in compensation and expenses to a teenager who lost vision in his right eye at age 10 due to a fall on a damaged path. Judge Ibrahim Bolous ruled that the municipality was negligent in failing to address numerous hazards in the area.
The incident occurred in October 2020 when the boy was walking to a local grocery store. On his way back, he tripped over scattered stones and rocks on a path near his home, falling forward and sustaining a severe eye injury from a cut tree branch. He was taken for medical treatment and later hospitalized, undergoing multiple surgeries. By late 2023, it was determined he had completely lost vision in the affected eye, and he was recommended for a prosthesis or cosmetic lens.
In the lawsuit filed by his parents, it was argued that the municipality was responsible for the accident due to the dangerous condition of the path, which was filled with potholes, stones, rocks, and debris. The municipality denied responsibility, claiming the accident's circumstances were not proven and suggesting the injured party only later specified encountering a stone. They also sought to attribute significant contributory negligence to the boy and his parents.
However, Judge Bolous accepted the teenager's account, supported by his grandfather and aunt's testimonies and medical documentation. The court noted that a 10-year-old child suffering a severe eye injury cannot be expected to describe the event with adult-level precision. Photos of the path indicated it was a dangerous passage, unsuitable even for careful walking. The court found the municipality knew or should have known about the danger but failed to take action for an extended period.
Despite this, the judge assigned 15% contributory negligence to the boy, stating he could have been more cautious given his familiarity with the path. The municipality's claim regarding parental responsibility was dismissed, deeming it unreasonable to expect parents to escort their child on every outing. The municipality was ordered to pay approximately 1.7 million shekels after deducting the boy's contributory negligence, along with legal fees of about 403,000 shekels and court costs of 15,000 shekels.
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