Guide for Physical and Psychological Injury Victims in War

Since the beginning of the war against Iran, dozens of civilians have been killed and hundreds injured during the campaign.

Many lost their homes and property in an instant and were left with nothing.

There are several entities designed to provide assistance to those civilians who were injured! Therefore, our goal is to provide the necessary information – you can find several referrals for assistance detailed in this brief list.

For civilians who suffered physical or mental damage due to the war

Physical or mental damage due to the war can be direct (missile strike, fire, or God forbid shooting) or indirect (anxiety, trauma, and post-trauma due to the war, the sirens, the strikes, and the general and specific concern).

All these injured persons have recourse through the Law for Compensation of Victims of Hostilities. According to this law, the lawsuit must be filed with the National Insurance Institute under the chapter on victims of hostilities, and after the Institute recognizes the damage as such caused by the war, it pays for all periods of full or partial disability without time limitation.

The compensation is according to the salary the injured person earned before the war. There is a certain minimum wage for those who did not work, or for those who earned less than that defined minimum wage – their salary base is "boosted" to that minimum. Subsequently, the injured person is entitled to compensation for permanent disability if such remains in the future. There is entitlement to compensation in a lump sum if the disability is between 10 to 19 percent disability (between NIS 57,000 to NIS 207,000 respectively) and to a monthly allowance if the disability is above 20% permanently.

Civilians who suffered property damage due to the war

Property damage is compensated by the Tax Authority according to the principles of the Property Tax Law. The tax authorities send appraisers to the scene of the incident, and the injured parties must ensure they provide the appraisers with full details about the property that was damaged. It is important to remember the compensation ceilings due according to the law as detailed in the table in the link below, which are not high ceilings.

For the lucky ones among us who were not injured, it is recommended to increase the compensation ceilings for a modest premium through the government website. Below is a link to the Property Tax website with a table of the maximum amounts that can be received and a link for executing and paying for the insurance expansion (increase your coverage for a rainy day and you'll have more peace of mind).

https://www.gov.il/he/pages/max_insurance_war_damages_compensation

Volunteers

Alongside the blessed phenomenon of volunteers who rush to assist injured civilians or reserve soldiers who are mobilized, it should be remembered that such volunteers can also be injured. Here is the place to alert that the National Insurance Law does indeed recognize the rights of a volunteer who was injured during or due to their volunteering, but only on condition that they are registered as a volunteer with a governmental/municipal body or with a body that the National Insurance has officially recognized as a body that can employ volunteers. Those who volunteer not through these bodies will not be entitled to all the benefits detailed below.

Physical or mental damage can be caused to a volunteer during their volunteering (injury from a missile or shooting or a fall on the way to a shelter). The National Insurance Law recognizes the rights of a volunteer who was injured due to their volunteering like an employee who was injured in a work accident. Simultaneously, such an injured person can also be considered a victim of hostilities. Either way, they must contact the National Insurance which compensates under each of these branches (work accident victims and victims of hostilities, when the decision as to which "track" to follow can vary according to many variables, and on this matter it is advisable to receive legal consultation).

In addition, such a volunteer may suffer an injury unrelated to the war itself, such as a car accident on the way to or from volunteering or during it. In such a case, they can sue the National Insurance on the "track" of work accident victims, and sometimes they will have an additional right to sue, such as in the case of a car accident against the insurance company of the vehicle they were traveling in or the vehicle that hit them (if they were a pedestrian at the time of the accident), or also a tort lawsuit if on the way to/from... or during volunteering they were injured by an obstacle caused by the municipality's negligence and the like.

In the cases detailed in this paragraph, it is advisable to check if there is a loss of work capacity policy or compensation for disability from an accident, which should also be exercised. This policy will generally not be in effect in the case of damage caused due to hostilities, and therefore we mentioned it only here in the context of an accident unrelated to the war.

Our office, Ron-Festinger, is among the leading law offices in Israel in the fields of tort law and insurance. We have over 40 years of experience in the field and advocate thoroughness, dedication, and professionalism in working with our clients.

For questions in case of injury or legal consultation, contact us today!

**Tel: ** **026231268

Email: mail@rofs.co.il