Prague, 1945. On his way to the doctor, Franz sees a man hanging from a makeshift scaffold. To his surprise, Franz is told that his lung condition is probably not malignant. He is asked if he's worked anywhere other than the railways, and he recalls a brief stint at a dye factory before the First World War...

Young Franz wakes up one morning to find a strange patch on his skin, which gradually gets worse. The factory claims the dye is harmless, but Franz is sacked to protect his colleagues. Beatrice, the boss's assistant, says that he might be able to make an insurance claim. Franz hides his condition and his unemployment from his fiancée, which makes meals with her grotesque family even more of an ordeal than usual.

On Beatrice's advice, Franz goes to the Workers Accident Insurance Group. Queuing, he sits next to a middle-aged woman, Lily, clearly a regular - she has crocheted a cover for her documents.

Dr Kafka and his colleague Gutling examine a youth who has injured himself in a mincing machine. Kafka is sympathetic, Gutling sceptical. Kafka wonders why people are so apologetic when explaining their injuries.

Gutling examines Franz with another colleague, Pohlmann, and queries whether a skin patch qualifies as an accident. Franz asks to see Dr Kafka, but is told that he isn't that sort of doctor. Pohlmann asks Franz to come back the next day. Franz duly does so, but finds that Gutling has decided to be as unhelpful as possible - he is jealous that Kafka was asked to give an important speech. He tells Franz that Kafka is busy, and throws him out.

Franz sits alongside a group of invalids, who humiliate him for not having the correct papers. He encounters Lily again, sitting patiently outside what she insists is the correct door. He opens it and reveals a stairwell. Lily insists that the discarded newspapers littering the floor are important.

Franz goes upstairs and encounters three doctors examining a woman's injuries. One, an embittered cynic, asks why people claim for their injuries, arguing that they make them more self-aware. He gladly seizes the chance of a break, and escorts Franz back to Pohlmann's office. Pohlmann's stern assistant Miss Weber is both unhelpful and unsympathetic.

Franz is reluctant to let his fiancée touch him. When she enticingly undoes her blouse, she is disgusted by his apparent rejection. Later, she returns his engagement ring.

Franz's father visits, and after attempting his own remedy, accompanies his son to a medical lecture. Franz disrobes on stage as the doctor explores his symptoms in public. Lily's case is then presented - she has headaches from stress caused by waiting for compensation for a minor injury. Should these headaches be compensated?

Kafka gives his speech while Franz argues with Pohlmann. Frustrated by yet another demand for his papers, and the implication that he's only interested in money, Franz flings a bottle through a pane of glass. Kafka incorporates the sound into his speech, which is about unexpected accidents.

Franz and Kafka finally meet. Kafka ruefully claims that Franz is asking for justice that doesn't exist. He wonders whether a medical condition can be defined as an accumulation of tiny, often invisible accidents. Pohlmann says that could define life as well, but there's no alternative but to breathe. Miss Weber complains that people will want compensation for being alive.

Kafka assures Franz that he understands his situation, but Franz angrily says that if he then does nothing about it, he is worse than the others. Kafka says that he knows of a factory run by his brother-in-law that might improve his working environment.

Franz's skin clears up, and he goes back to see Kafka, with his new fiancée, Beatrice. Kafka shows him the factory, which produces building materials, mainly asbestos. Franz thanks him for saving his life.

Back in 1945, Franz wonders if his present illness was caused by that factory. The doctor says that it's possible, can't be certain. Franz muses on Kafka: he thinks he died, but as he was a Jew, he would be dead by now anyway. The doctor bids him farewell. The hanged man's shadow looms over the street.