DISPARITIES ON THE BASIS OF NATIONALITY, ETHNICITY AND GENDER IN ROAD ACCIDENT COMPENSATION IN ISRAEL

This study documents disparities on the basis of nationality, ethnicity, and gender in court awards regarding the loss of future earnings in road accident cases in Israel. We analyze a random selection of 236 court decisions in road accident cases that reached final decisions on their merits between 1978 and 2018, in which the nationality, ethnicity, and gender of victims were identifiable (via first and last names). We show that although in Israel the reliance on sex and race based statistical data to calculate damages in tort cases is a prohibited practice, courts tend to reach lower estimates of the future lost earnings of Mizrahi Jews, Arabs, and women than the future lost earnings of otherwise similarly situated Ashkenazi Jewish men. In the analyses, we hold injured persons’ earnings at the time of the accident and occupations constant. The effects we observe are significant in magnitude. The results of our study are particularly noteworthy, given the fact that we document disparities that correspond with the already existing labor force inequalities and discrimination in hiring, salary, and promotion on the basis of nationality, ethnicity, and gender in Israel.

本研究针对以色列道路交通事故案件中法院就未来收入损失作出的赔偿裁决，梳理了基于国籍、族裔与性别的差异情况。我们随机选取了1978年至2018年间236件已就实体问题作出终审裁决的道路交通事故案件的法院判决作为分析样本，且可通过被害人的姓名（名与姓）确定其国籍、族裔与性别。研究发现，尽管以色列法律禁止在侵权案件的损害赔偿计算中使用基于性别与种族的统计数据，但法院对米兹拉希犹太人（Mizrahi Jews）、阿拉伯人与女性的未来收入损失估算金额，仍普遍低于其他情况相似的阿什肯纳兹犹太男性（Ashkenazi Jewish men）。我们在分析中控制了被害人事故发生时的收入水平与职业状况。我们观测到的差异效应幅度显著。尤为值得关注的是，本研究揭示的差异与以色列当前劳动力市场中基于国籍、族裔与性别的既有不平等及雇佣、薪酬与晋升歧视现象高度契合。