California’s most concrete new personal-injury rule for 2027 concerns rideshare accident claims involving lien-based medical treatment. Other core rules—ordinary limitation periods and statewide minimum auto-liability limits—remain unchanged for 2027.
Confirmed: SB 623 Changes Certain Rideshare Injury Claims
Governor Newsom signed SB 623, the Fair Medical Billing & Rideshare Safety Act, on June 25, 2026. New Civil Code section 3333.9 applies to covered automobile accidents occurring on or after January 1, 2027.
The medical-damages provisions are narrow. They apply to a civil claim or arbitration against a transportation network company, its subsidiary, or an app-based driver—such as an Uber or Lyft claim—when the injured person obtained treatment from a lien-based provider. They do not rewrite damages law for every California accident case.
70th-percentile benchmark for lien-based care
Recoverable past medical expenses for lien-based services generally cannot exceed the 70th percentile of FAIR Health billed charges, or a comparable recognized database, for the same or similar service in the applicable geographic area. A court may authorize more when clear and convincing evidence shows that treatment was exceptionally rare or highly specialized and no reasonably comparable service was available.
If a medical lien or receivable is sold, assigned, financed, or factored, recoverable damages and the amount collectible from the patient generally cannot exceed the consideration paid or payable to acquire it—and cannot exceed the database benchmark.
More billing and financial disclosures
Covered medical bills must be itemized using accepted procedure and diagnosis codes. Lien transfers and specified financial or referral relationships involving counsel and providers become discoverable, and undisclosed transfers face enforcement limits. Injured riders should preserve every bill, lien agreement, referral communication, and insurance explanation.
Rideshare Insurance: Know Which Coverage Applies
A separate law, SB 371, already changed mandatory rideshare passenger uninsured/underinsured-motorist coverage in 2026 to $60,000 per person and $300,000 per incident. The transportation network company’s $1 million liability coverage remains important when the app-based driver is legally responsible. These are different coverages, and the applicable policy depends on fault and the driver’s app status.
No New 2027 Increase to California’s Auto Minimums
For policies issued or renewed in 2027, California’s ordinary minimum auto-liability limits remain $30,000 per injured person, $60,000 per accident, and $15,000 for property damage (30/60/15). The next scheduled statutory increase is in 2035—not 2027. Minimum limits are often inadequate for a serious injury, so uninsured/underinsured-motorist coverage can be critical.
Core Injury Deadlines Still Matter
- Many ordinary California injury claims generally have a two-year limitation period, but important exceptions can shorten or extend it.
- Claims against a city, county, school district, or other public entity often require a government claim within six months. See our guide to suing public entities in California.
- Medical malpractice, workers’ compensation, minors’ claims, delayed discovery, and uninsured-motorist claims follow specialized rules.
After a rideshare or other serious accident, preserve app trip records, photographs, witness information, all insurance policies, medical bills, and lien paperwork. Contact Jonny Law’s personal injury team for advice about your facts. This page is general information, not legal advice.
