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).
