A Potential California Ballot Initiative Threatens the Personal Injury System

Your ability to get legal help after you have been injured in an accident may be on the line in the coming election in California. Uber is putting its resources and political might behind a potential ballot measure that may cap car accident attorneys’ fees at a level that may keep qualified lawyers out of the business of providing you with the legal services that you need. It is essential that you are aware of this potential measure, and you are prepared to vote against it to preserve the personal injury legal system in California.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a motor vehicle crash, speak to a San Bernardino catastrophic injury lawyer at Skapik Law Group by calling us at (909) 398-4404. A free initial consultation will give you the information that you need and hopefully the confidence necessary to move forward with your legal case.

Uber Is Working to Undermine the Car Accident Legal System

Uber has been known to pull out all stops to shift the California political landscape in its favor in any way possible. The company has vigorously fought legislative efforts to classify drivers as employees rather than independent contractors, working to place an initiative on the ballot, which eventually passed. Now, Uber has placed its immense resources behind another ballot initiative to cap attorneys’ fees in car accident claims. While Uber is claiming altruistically that it is working to further consumer choice, the ballot initiative is nothing more than an effort to further the company’s own naked self-interest.

Uber maintains a so-called “Innovation PAC,” which is essentially a vehicle to use the company’s money to influence California politics in a manner that favors its own interests. This PAC spends millions of dollars each year in favor of initiatives that aim to either reduce risks to Uber or favor its own bottom line. Uber has most recently thrown its largesse behind a new measure that is likely to appear on the 2026 ballot. Fresh off a success that limited the amount of insurance coverage that Uber must provide its drivers, the company is now coming after attorney’s fees, not only for rideshare accidents, but for all types of motor vehicle crashes. What is really happening is that Uber is seeking to dismantle the entire personal injury law system that protects the rights of injured Californians.

If The Ballot Measure Passes, Car Accident Attorneys May Be Driven Out of Business

The proposed ballot measure would limit the proportion of a car accident settlement that can go towards medical costs and attorneys’ fees to 25% in total. In reality, a plaintiff’s attorney would end up with far less than that 25%. The ballot measure is described in terms of protecting consumers from unscrupulous attorneys and high fees. Uber knows full well that attorneys are already subject to regulation of the exact amount of fees that they can collect. The Rules of Professional Conduct that govern California attorneys already require that these fees be reasonable.

What is really happening is that Uber is trying to drive the entire plaintiff’s bar that represents Californians injured in car accidents out of business entirely. Car accident attorneys need to collect a certain percentage from settlements that they obtain, so they can earn a living. These lawyers invest their own money in cases with no guarantee of success. It is only when the attorney is able to collect the contingency fee that they are able to be paid for their time. A personal injury attorney rightly earning a percentage of the settlement that they worked hard to obtain on behalf of their client has nothing whatsoever to do with “self-dealing.”

Uber knows that car accident lawyers are the main form of protection for accident victims, and the attorneys stand between claimants and the insurance company. Without an experienced car accident attorney to protect the rights of the victim, claimants may end up with no leverage whatsoever when they are negotiating with insurance companies. That is exactly the scenario that Uber wants. The irony is that Uber claims to act in the interest of consumers, when every other action that it takes is meant to favor the company at the expense of its customers.

There are no assurances that this measure will appear on the ballot in 2026. California laws require that more than 800,000 signatures be gathered and verified for an initiative to be placed in front of the voters. Then, voters would need to approve this initiative in the next election. It is not a stretch to say that the personal injury system that protects California residents hangs in the balance.

Contact a San Bernardino Catastrophic Injury Law Firm

If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury in an accident, the catastrophic injury lawyers at Skapik Law Group are here to fight for your rights. Schedule a free initial consultation with a catastrophic injury attorney by visiting our website or by calling us today at (909) 398-4404.