Newsom Signs California Ride-Hailing Law Limiting Crash Recoveries as Uber, Lawyers Avoid $150 Million Fight
Updated
Updated · CalMatters · Jun 26
Newsom Signs California Ride-Hailing Law Limiting Crash Recoveries as Uber, Lawyers Avoid $150 Million Fight
3 articles · Updated · CalMatters · Jun 26
Summary
California’s new Senate Bill 623 limits how much ride-hailing crash victims can recover for treatment from lien-based medical providers, narrowing Uber’s exposure in those cases.
The law emerged from a deal between Uber and the Consumer Attorneys of California, which withdrew dueling ballot measures after each side had raised or allocated more than $75 million for a November campaign.
Annual criminal background checks for drivers are now required, and a wider range of criminal offenses will disqualify people from driving for companies such as Uber.
The measure also bars the sale of medical liens and prohibits lawyers from referring clients to medical providers with whom they have close ties.
Unlike Uber’s broader proposal, the compromise applies only to ride-hailing crashes, offering a California template for balancing platform liability, victim protections and driver safety.