California’s malpractice payouts would rise under a deal to avoid a costly ballot fight

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Cash payments in California medical malpractice cases would go up for the first time in nearly five decades under a deal between rival interest groups announced Wednesday that avoids a costly battle at the ballot box in November.

The overhaul to the long-standing Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act of 1975, known as MICRA, will be outlined in a bill scheduled to be introduced Wednesday in the California Legislature, with the deal requiring that it be signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom before June 28 — the deadline for removing a related measure from the Nov. 8 statewide ballot.

“I never thought this would happen,” said trial attorney Nick Rowley, who bankrolled the effort to gather voter signatures for placing a measure on the ballot. “I never thought we would work out a legislative solution.”