Israeli Court Awards Lawyer 85,000 Shekels After Hit-and-Run Truck Incident Based on Anonymous Note

A small claims court in Netanya ruled in favor of a female lawyer whose car was damaged in a hit-and-run incident involving a truck near a construction site. The case hinged on an anonymous handwritten note left on the lawyer’s windshield by an unidentified eyewitness, which described how the truck struck her vehicle and fled without leaving contact details. Using the note’s information, including the truck’s license plate, the lawyer identified the driver with help from the construction site manager and filed a claim for approximately 73,000 shekels in damages.

The truck driver and his insurance company denied involvement, claiming no contact occurred and that the damage was exaggerated. The driver also asserted that the truck was in a garage for repairs at the time of the accident. However, Judge Zohar Divon Segal rejected this defense, noting the driver never mentioned the garage claim during initial contact and that the supporting documents were improperly signed and dated.

Judge Divon Segal found the lawyer’s testimony credible, emphasizing it was unlikely she would fabricate an anonymous note or lie to obtain compensation, especially since she paid the deductible herself. The court ruled the anonymous note was admissible evidence, given it was written shortly after the incident by a witness to the "exciting and emotional event," reducing concerns about its reliability.

Ultimately, the court ordered the defendants to pay the lawyer about 73,000 shekels for damages plus legal fees and court costs, totaling roughly 85,400 shekels. This ruling sets a notable precedent on the acceptance of anonymous eyewitness evidence and highlights the importance of immediate documentation by witnesses in traffic accidents, even when they choose to remain anonymous.