Patient to Receive 736,000 Shekels from Clinic for Missed Appendicitis

The Haifa District Court ordered the Terem clinic network to pay a 50-year-old woman 736,000 shekels for negligence in diagnosing appendicitis. In 2019, doctors sent her home without a blood test, leading to a ruptured appendix and severe complications. The court ruled that a blood test could have detected the inflammation and rejected the clinic's arguments. Considering the patient's 5% fault, the compensation was about 610,000 shekels plus legal costs.

The Haifa District Court ordered the Terem urgent care clinic network to pay a 50-year-old woman compensation of 736,000 shekels for negligence in diagnosing appendicitis. In October 2019, the woman visited the Terem clinic in Nahariya with complaints of severe abdominal pain and vomiting. After an examination, she was given an intravenous analgesic and, concluding it was not appendicitis, was sent home. Three days later, when she arrived at the emergency department of Rambam Hospital in Haifa, a ruptured appendix was found, leading to intestinal obstruction and a series of operations, including removal of the appendix and gallbladder. The court agreed with the forensic expert's opinion, which noted that the doctor should have ruled out appendicitis by taking a blood test rather than relying solely on a physical examination. The court rejected the clinic's attempt to reduce liability, emphasizing that different standards cannot be applied to doctors based on their workplace. The court ruled that the defendant must compensate for damages, but with a 5% deduction due to the victim's own fault, as the court believed she should have sought help earlier. After the deduction, she was awarded about 610,000 shekels for loss of income and other damages, and the clinic was also ordered to pay legal costs of about 126,000 shekels.