Court Rules Heart Attack a Work Accident for Mekorot Manager
A regional labor court in Nazareth recognized a Mekorot manager's heart attack as a work accident, overturning the National Insurance Institute's denial. The court accepted expert medical opinion that stress from a contractor dispute triggered the cardiac event. The ruling entitles the employee to benefits, including potential injury allowance and disability payments, and the Institute must pay NIS 4,000 in legal costs.
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- A court recognized a Mekorot manager's heart attack as a work accident, overturning the National Insurance Institute's denial.
- The ruling was based on expert medical opinion linking stress from a contractor dispute to the cardiac event.
- The employee is now eligible for work accident benefits, including potential injury allowance and disability payments.
- The National Insurance Institute was ordered to pay the employee NIS 4,000 in legal fees.
- The court accepted that an unusual work event can accelerate a heart attack, even with pre-existing risk factors.
A regional labor court in Nazareth has ruled that a heart attack suffered by a manager at the Mekorot water company should be recognized as a work accident. The ruling came after the National Insurance Institute (Bituah Leumi) initially rejected the employee's claim, stating that no unusual work-related event had been proven.
The case involved an incident in August 2021 where the employee experienced a heated argument with contractors during a site visit. He left the meeting agitated, and on his way home, he began experiencing chest pains, leading to emergency hospitalization and an urgent cardiac catheterization.
To assess the situation, the court appointed cardiologist Prof. Shmuel Gottlieb, who determined that the psychological stress from the confrontation triggered a physical response that destabilized an artery plaque, causing a blockage. Despite the employee having pre-existing risk factors like smoking and diabetes, the expert concluded that the work incident accelerated the heart attack, making it likely it would have occurred later otherwise.
The court adopted the expert's findings, siding with the employee and overturning the National Insurance Institute's decision. Judge Reital Turner and public representatives ordered the incident to be recognized as a work accident. The National Insurance Institute was also ordered to pay the employee NIS 4,000 in legal fees.
Recognition as a work accident can grant the employee financial and medical benefits, including injury allowance for time off work (calculated at 75% of insured income for up to 91 days) and the possibility of claiming disability status. Depending on the assessed disability, this could lead to a one-time grant or a monthly pension.