West Nile Fever: Who is Liable? And a Free Downloadable Cease and Desist Letter

West Nile fever is dominating headlines due to a significant increase in cases. However, despite the widespread discussion, one question remains unanswered: Who is legally responsible, and is compensation possible? Find all the answers and a free downloadable warning letter here.

West Nile Fever: Modes of Transmission

Understanding West Nile Fever

West Nile Fever is a viral illness that spreads from animals to humans. Birds are the main carriers of the virus. Mosquitoes pick up the virus by feeding on infected birds, then transmit it to humans through a bite.

Once bitten, symptoms usually appear within 5 to 21 days. The illness itself typically lasts three to six days.

Symptoms are similar to influenza and often resolve spontaneously; these include headache, fever, weakness, rash, muscle aches, and sometimes gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea/diarrhea). In severe cases—which, according to the Ministry of Health, affect less than 1% of the population—neurological damage and mortality can occur.

The Ministry of Health has reassured the public that the disease is viral and cannot be directly transmitted between humans.

Responsibility for Preventing Infection

I Was Bitten, How Do I Obtain Compensation?

If you were bitten and suffered harm due to negligence by the local or regional council in fulfilling its duties, you can file a claim for damages for personal injury. (Incidentally, you can also file a small claims suit).

Such a claim may also include compensation for consequential damages: loss of workdays or business income, loss of attendance at an event, medical and travel expenses, loss of a trip or flight, and more. Of course, compensation for emotional distress and pain and suffering can also be claimed.

Compensation for Bites: Who to Contact

If a minor student is bitten, they might get compensation from their personal accident insurance for students.

If the bite happens at work, it could be a workplace accident. This may entitle the individual to compensation from their employer or the National Insurance Institute.

If a soldier (active or reserve duty) is bitten, they need to file a claim with the Ministry of Defence.

Before filing a claim: Photograph the hazard site; document your contacts with the local authority; photograph any visible physical harm; and keep records of all events since then (from medical documents to payslips for the relevant month to claim for loss of income/workdays).

Tip: Before going to court, it is advisable to send the local authority a warning letter before taking legal action. Describe the incident in the letter and demand compensation for settlement purposes. If this fails, a civil suit can be filed with the assistance of a medical expert’s opinion linking the bite to the physical injury. If the medical expert estimates the damages to be less than 40,000 NIS, a small claims suit can be filed.

Filing a Small Claims Suit for Personal Injury

Small claims are capped at NIS 38,900. This is the maximum award for personal injury claims.

Dino’s system improves filing small claims. Generate your suit online with Dino. Use any device. A smart questionnaire guides you. It adapts to your answers.

Upload files easily from any device. Convert them into an organized appendix. No printing is needed. Generating a suit takes about 14 minutes. The system creates a compliant small claims suit. It follows court administration instructions. This overcomes suit drafting barriers.

Purchase a complete filing service too. This package includes claim generation. It covers court fee payment. A legal courier handles filing.

For all information on generating and filing a small claims suit using Dino’s smart system.

Free Downloadable Warning Letter