In a concerning development, State Comptroller Matanyahu Engelman has issued a warning about lawyers approaching wounded service members in hospital rooms and persuading them to sign representation agreements on the spot. According to Engelman, these practices are done with the intention of obtaining rights from the Department of Defense.
The Department of Rehabilitation within the Ministry of Defense has emphasized that wounded military personnel receive all necessary services without charge during their hospitalization and for the first four months of rehabilitation following discharge. However, some individuals may require representation during medical commissions after this period.
It is worth noting that there are strict limitations on the fees that lawyers can receive for representing patients during medical examinations at the National Insurance Institute. However, no such restrictions exist for medical examinations conducted by the Ministry of Defense. The Bar Association has expressed its intention to take action against lawyers who actively approach wounded service members with offers of their services, particularly if they do so in a hospital setting.