A guest staying at a Dead Sea hotel claims he was injured in the face after colliding with a transparent glass barrier that was not marked in a way that could be seen. After his attorney contacted the hotel to inquire about the identity of the insurance company insuring him, the hotel responded that the guest was the one who behaved recklessly, smashed the glass and caused property damage - and was therefore required to compensate the hotel for 15,000 shekels within 14 days. Otherwise, legal proceedings may be taken against him.
The incident occurred on December 13, 2025, while Shas, a resident of Rishon LeZion, was staying at a hotel with his family and friends. According to his version, late in the evening he was sitting in the hotel lobby when his daughter asked him to get something from the car.
S. stood up and walked toward what he thought was an open passageway toward the exit. According to him, he noticed a step in front of him, but did not notice that a completely transparent, unmarked glass barrier separated him from it.
S. collided with the glass with great force and was injured in his face and other parts of his body. As a result of the collision, part of the glass barrier shattered, and his family and other people in the lobby rushed to his aid.
According to attorney Little Bieber-Chaikin, who represents S., the hotel's shift manager watched the incident on the security cameras and apologized to him after the accident.
S. was driven by his friends to receive medical treatment at a clinic in Arad.
According to medical records, he was diagnosed with a deep cut on his chin, bruising, headache, and dizziness. The cut was sutured and he was released with painkillers and instructions for further monitoring.
According to Attorney Bieber-Chaikin, even after the treatment, S. continued to suffer from pain, swelling, sensitivity in the chin and teeth area, and difficulty opening his mouth. According to her, there is also concern that the injury will leave a scar on his face.
In early January 2026, Attorney Bieber-Chaikin contacted the hotel management demanding that it acknowledge responsibility for the incident. The letter claimed that the accident was caused by a glass barrier that was placed in an area used for guest traffic, without being clearly marked.
The hotel was asked to provide the details of the insurance company that insured it at the time of the accident. The request was accompanied by photos from the scene of the incident, photos of the injury, and medical documentation.
However, the hotel rejected S.'s demand and presented a completely different version of the incident. According to the hotel's representatives, the mere fact that a person was injured on hotel premises does not automatically impose liability on the hotel. They claim that guests should pay attention to their surroundings and drive carefully.
It was also claimed that S.'s version, according to which he walked towards the exit, is inconsistent with the structure of the lobby and the circumstances of the incident. According to the hotel, S. ran in the lobby and behaved in a wild, reckless and careless manner. This conduct, it was claimed, led to a collision with glass, which shattered and created a risk to guests and hotel employees.
The hotel even made a financial demand against S. He claimed that the cost of repairing the broken glass barrier amounted to 6,372 shekels. It was also claimed that employees were forced to stop work to deal with the incident, part of the lobby was closed, and the hotel suffered additional direct and indirect damage.
For the purposes of a compromise, the hotel set its demand at 15,000 shekels, and demanded that M. transfer the amount within 14 days.
The letter clarified that if payment is not made, the hotel may take legal action against him to collect his full damages, along with interest, linkage, legal costs and attorney's fees.
Attorney Bieber-Chaikin rejects the hotel's claims. According to her, the obligation to mark a glass barrier in the area used by guests is a basic safety measure, and claims regarding the speed of the victim's walking or behavior do not make this obligation unnecessary.
""We cannot be satisfied with a general statement that hotel guests should be careful," says Attorney Bieber-Chaikin. "It is enough for a guest to believe, because of a transparent glass wall, that the path ahead is open, for a serious injury to occur.".
According to her, the fact that the glass shattered does not prove that Sh was rioting, but rather illustrates the risk to guests from the transparent glass wall placed in the lobby.
Attorney Bieber-Chaikin defines the hotel's payment demand as "creative reversal." According to her, a guest who was injured in the face, needed stitches, and contacted the hotel demanding to receive the insurance company's details found himself faced with an ultimatum: pay the hotel 15,000 shekels - or face a damages claim.
According to her, numerous pieces of evidence, including the videos of the accident in the hotel's possession, prove that Marsha's version is true, and the hotel's version is fundamentally unfounded, and therefore she is not at all afraid to take the matter to court, which will delve into the depths of the incident and award appropriate compensation for the damages caused to Marsha, which include temporary and permanent disabilities, as well as legal expenses and attorneys' fees.
