She became disabled due to the coronavirus - and was displaced by hundreds of thousands even though she returned to work

October 17, 2021   

A hospital nurse, a resident of Beer Sheva, who contracted the coronavirus while working and was recognized as a work-related injury, recently received a retroactive payment of more than 150,000 shekels from the National Insurance Institute (NII). In addition, she will receive a monthly benefit of approximately 10,000 shekels each month, despite the fact that she continues to work at the hospital. In the lawsuit she filed with the NII, through attorneys Gil Kraus and Shiri Alon, the nurse claimed that following infection with the virus, she suffers from severe post-coronavirus symptoms, including obstructive pulmonary disease, neurological damage, including short-term memory damage, migraines, cognitive damage, hearing loss, and general weakness. Recently, as mentioned, the National Social Insurance Commission accepted her claim and even determined that she had significant permanent disabilities. Attorneys Kraus and Alon explain that someone who contracted the coronavirus as a result of exposure to a confirmed patient at their workplace may be recognized by the National Social Insurance Commission as a work injury, provided that they were able to prove a causal connection with a high degree of probability between the infection with the virus and the workplace. However, according to them, when it comes to, among other things, healthcare workers who are on the front lines against the virus - as in the case before us - the situation may be simpler, since for them it is easier to prove that they were exposed in some way to a coronavirus patient during their work. "The daily discourse on the topic of the coronavirus revolves mainly around the number of seriously ill patients, those vaccinated with the first and second doses, hospital occupancy and the mortality rate. "Less is said about the many patients who supposedly have already recovered, but in reality remain disabled and suffer from extremely severe post-coronavirus symptoms," say attorneys Kraus and Alon. According to them, the National Insurance Institute's recognition of these patients as work-related injuries has far-reaching implications, since in addition to disability and temporary payments, the National Insurance Institute may later determine for them, as in this case, a permanent disability that will entitle them in quite a few cases to a fixed monthly benefit or a sizable one-time grant. Attorneys Kraus and Alon also explain that the National Insurance Law states that anyone who has been recognized by the National Insurance Institute as a work-related injury and whose medical condition deteriorates due to the disability caused to them at work will have their new disability recognized, their disability percentage will increase, and accordingly, the rights to which they will be entitled will also increase. Attorneys Kraus and Alon further emphasize that work-related injuries are also entitled to financial reimbursements for medical expenses incurred or that will be incurred in the future as a result of their disability - such as financing rehabilitative treatments or full reimbursements for expenses for painkillers or medical cannabis.