Two initiatives, with rideshare companies and trial attorneys taking opposing sides of the campaigns, qualified for the November ballot in California on June 17.
One initiative sponsored by Uber would require car accident victims to receive at least 75% of the total amount of damages recovered; establish standards for the recovery of medical expenses based on Medicare, Medi-Cal, and the national health insurance database; and prohibit referral agreements between personal injury law firms and medical care providers. It is opposed by the Consumer Attorneys of California, which is sponsoring a second initiative that would:
- establish that rideshare companies are common carriers defined in state law as "everyone who offers to the public to carry persons, property, or messages" that owe passengers the highest degree of care;
- require rideshare drivers to submit to a Department of Justice state and federal fingerprint background checks prior to contracting with a rideshare company and every year thereafter; and
- require rideshare companies to report the number of sexual assaults or misconduct occurrences monthly on their websites and to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).
The campaigns registered to support and oppose the two initiatives reported more than $100.5 million in contributions through March 31. A More Affordable California, the committee backed by Uber, reported more than $32.5 million. Alliance Against Corporate Abuse, the committee sponsored by Consumer Attorneys, reported more than $68 million.
The Uber-backed initiative is a constitutional amendment that required 874,641 valid signatures to qualify. The campaign submitted 1,379,002 signatures, of which 1,022,128 were projected to be valid in the random sample count.
The initiative sponsored by Consumer Attorneys is a state statute that required 546,651 valid signatures. The campaign submitted 1,180,407 signatures, of which the secretary of state projected 719,603 signatures were valid.
An Uber spokesperson shared the company’s perspective on the conflict, saying, “It seems the Consumer Attorneys of California have no interest in protecting their clients, and instead have embarked on a disinformation campaign invoking sexual assault when, in fact, our ballot initiative clearly excludes sexual assault claims. ... We believe Californians deserve a system that prioritizes victims over billboard lawyers. Capping attorney fees, banning kickbacks, and ending inflated medical billing are common-sense reforms that will protect auto-accident victims and lower costs, and we’re confident voters will agree.”
On the other side, Alex Stack, a spokesperson for Alliance Against Corporate Abuse, said, “Uber wants Californians to believe this measure is about lowering costs, but this report makes the truth clear: Uber is sitting on more than $12 billion in insurance reserves while working to strip injured people of their right to full medical care and legal representation. This isn’t about affordability — it’s about protecting profits. By limiting what victims can recover, Uber can keep more money in its own pocket and funnel it into risky robotaxi expansion. The public should be outraged that a company is rewriting the rules to avoid accountability, even when people are hurt or killed.”
The deadline to qualify or withdraw from the ballot is June 25 (131 days from the election). Including the qualification of these initiatives, voters will be deciding on 11 ballot initiatives and three legislative referrals in November. To view a complete list of the measures, click here.
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