On October 3, 2025, Uber filed a deceptive ballot initiative, which would fundamentally weaken the rights of automobile and truck accident victims across California. The initiative limits automobile and truck accident victims’ recovery of medical expenses, restricts the ability of victims to hire an attorney of their choice on a contingency fee basis (while leaving Uber’s defense-side fees untouched), and rewrites long-standing liability standards to benefit a multi-billion-dollar corporation.
This deeply misleading initiative would make it harder for injured Californians to obtain medical care and secure legal representation after an accident. By capping medical recovery and discouraging attorneys from representing injured victims, the measure stacks the deck in favor of Uber and against passengers and drivers who have been harmed. This initiative is part of a broader effort by Uber to evade accountability and put company profits ahead of passenger safety and victim protection.
In response, the Alliance Against Corporate Abuse (AACA) sponsored by Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC) filed three counter initiatives to protect victims, strengthen public safety, and hold rideshare companies accountable:
• People’s Right to Contract With Counsel of Choice Act: A constitutional amendment that directly counters Uber’s measure by protecting Californians’ right to hire an attorney of their choice. The initiative prevents corporate interference in attorney-client relationships and ensures existing safeguards against excessive or unlawful fees remain in place.
• Sexual Assault Against Rideshare Passengers and Drivers Prevention and Accountability Act: Strengthens protections for riders and drivers by requiring rigorous background checks, including fingerprinting, and public reporting of sexual misconduct incidents so riders and drivers are aware of risks in Uber vehicles. This initiative also classifies rideshare companies as “common carriers” under California law, requiring them to exercise a heightened standard of care for their passengers.
• Rideshare Company Public Accountability Act: Ensures rideshare companies are held to the same standards as other transportation providers by classifying them as common carriers and making them legally responsible for harm caused by their drivers. The initiative closes liability loopholes and makes companies legally responsible for injuries to passengers or the public, regardless of whether the driver is an independent contractor.
Alliance Against Corporate Abuse
