Widow Awarded Millions After 18-Year Battle Over Husband's Nuclear Plant Death

A widow will receive approximately 1.9 million shekels (about $500,000 USD) in compensation, plus a lifelong monthly pension, after an 18-year legal struggle for recognition that her husband's death from lung cancer was work-related. The husband worked for 40 years at the nuclear reactor in Dimona, where he was exposed to radioactive materials. The National Insurance Institute initially denied the widow's claim, stating the death was from 'natural causes.'

Following the denial, the widow sued the National Insurance Institute. A court-appointed expert determined that the husband's occupational exposure to radioactive and dangerous materials likely contributed 50% to the development of his illness and had a significant impact on the cancer's progression, though it couldn't definitively link it as the sole cause of death. The expert noted, however, that the illness was a significant factor in the overall health decline leading to his passing.

The National Insurance Institute appealed the regional labor court's decision to the National Labor Court, seeking to replace the expert. These requests were denied. In a recent ruling, the National Labor Court upheld the lower court's decision, dismissing the appeal.

The judges, led by Presiding Judge Sigal Davidov Motola, criticized the National Insurance Institute for the lengthy duration of the case, stating it was regrettable and that the institute should consider such delays when deciding on appeals. The compensation includes backdated payments with linkage and legal expenses of 12,000 shekels.

The widow's attorney, Danit Mazor, stated that despite the known risks to nuclear plant workers and the expert's findings, the National Insurance Institute made it difficult for the widow to gain recognition for her husband as a victim of workplace injury.