Summer Vacation and Holiday Safety: Student Insurance and Accident Compensation

The summer vacation and holiday period can be pleasant and enjoyable for parents and children but also involves risks of accidents and injuries that can occur year-round, especially during vacations.

The public should remember the following:

• Every student in Israel is insured under a personal accident insurance policy 24 hours a day, both during the school year and during vacations.

• This insurance provides compensation for permanent disability resulting from an "accidental" event, not illness.

• The compensation amounts to several thousand shekels (approximately 4,000 ₪) for each percentage point of disability caused by the accidental event (typically, disability for scars does not entitle one to compensation).

• Additionally, certain compensation (approximately 100 ₪ per day) is provided for hospitalization exceeding a certain number of days (over 6 days in certain policies and 9 days in others).

• Compensation is not provided in the case of a car accident in Israel or abroad.

• Compensation will be provided in the case of an accident abroad that is not a car accident.

The compensation under the personal accident insurance policy for Israeli students is in addition to any tort compensation to which the child may be entitled. For example, in the case of a fall at a summer camp in a municipal park, playground, or swimming pool, it is possible that the incident resulted from negligence in the facility or negligence in supervision by the camp counselors. Therefore, there may be grounds for a compensation lawsuit that will be provided in addition to and regardless of the compensation under the student personal accident insurance policy detailed above.

Regarding the previous paragraph – parents are advised to verify that every place to which they send their child for activities (summer camp/youth movement summer camp, etc.) has an insurance policy that insures the child against damage that may be caused due to negligence in the facilities or by the counselors or operators of the facility. Such a policy is called "third party."

Sometimes such places also charge a fee for a personal accident insurance policy for participants, the compensation from which will also be in addition to tort compensation. It is worthwhile to know and verify in advance whether such a policy exists, although it is a "bonus" and can be waived, but under no circumstances should the aforementioned third-party policy be waived.

Accidents and Injuries Abroad –

It is of course recommended to arrange travel insurance abroad for children (as well as adults) that will cover medical expenses and medical evacuation if necessary, which can sometimes reach enormous sums. Therefore, it is advisable to check that the insurance coverage is appropriate for the destination country. It is known that in the United States, for example, hospitalization costs can be very high, so it is important to ensure that the policy purchased has coverage amounts appropriate for the travel destination.

It should be remembered that this insurance primarily covers medical expenses and medical evacuation, although it also provides compensation (usually very small) for permanent disability that may result from an accident abroad. As we wrote above, student insurance will also apply to an accidental event abroad but not to a car accident.