What the law requires immediately after the accident
Stop at the scene, give help to the injured person and give your details. Leaving the scene may be treated as abandonment, an offence far more serious than the accident itself, even when you were not at fault. Do not move the vehicle before documenting, and photograph the scene, the vehicles and the damage.
What may be filed against the driver
- Causing injury by negligence and, in serious cases, causing death by negligence.
- Related traffic offences: failure to give way, speed, use of a phone.
- Abandonment after an injury, when the driver left the scene.
- A request to disqualify the licence until the end of the proceedings, filed in the first stages.
The criminal case against compensation for the injured person
Compensation for road-accident victims in Israel does not depend on fault. It is governed by the Road Accident Victims Compensation Law and is paid through the insurer. So even a driver who is convicted does not pay the compensation from their own pocket, as long as they were insured and held a valid licence. The two main exceptions, driving while disqualified and driving without insurance, move the financial exposure to the driver.
Frequently asked questions
I left the scene because I did not realise anyone was hurt. What now?
Contact the police on your own initiative as soon as you can and document the circumstances. Abandonment is judged by what the driver knew or should have known, and coming forward changes the picture substantially.
What is a disqualification until the end of proceedings?
A police request to take the licence for the whole trial. The hearing on it takes place at the start of the case and is usually the most important event at that stage, so we prepare for it with particular care.
The injured person is suing me personally. Is that possible?
In most cases no: the claim is directed at the insurer under the Road Accident Victims Compensation Law. Personal exposure arises mainly when there was no valid insurance or the driving was during a disqualification.
Does a criminal conviction set the amount of compensation?
Not the amount, but findings from the criminal case may be used in the civil one. So the traffic file should not be treated as a technical matter.