Signature turn-in and substantial fundraising come on the heels of major ad campaign

Proposed measure would help prevent billboard lawyers from driving up costs through excessive fees and kickback schemes

SACRAMENTO— A More Affordable California campaign announced today it will begin submitting signatures to secure a spot on the November 2026 ballot and announced $45 million in new funding. Together, the milestones mark a major inflection point for a campaign building momentum to take on predatory personal injury lawyers who exploit auto accident victims and drive up costs for every Californian.

“States across the country have taken action against billboard lawyers who are scamming auto accident victims out of millions and driving up costs for everyone,” said Nathan Click, spokesperson for A More Affordable California. “From New York to Florida to Nevada to Georgia, states are cracking down on this costly abuse. Now it’s California’s turn—and this November, voters have the chance to fight back.”

The campaign previously launched an eight-figure ad campaign exposing these billboard lawyers. The four ads explained how ambulance attorneys encourage accident victims to take on unnecessary medical debt to inflate settlement prices—a scheme that enriches attorneys but leaves little for victims. 

To end these predatory practices for good, A More Affordable California is backing the Preventing Accident Victims from Self Dealing Attorneys Act of 2026, a proposed November 2026 California ballot measure that would help prevent ambulance lawyers from exploiting accident victims through unnecessary medical debt, hidden kickbacks, and excessive legal fees that raise costs for everyone.

The Problem: Fraud That Hurts Auto Accident Victims and Consumers

• Ambulance lawyers spend over $2.5 billion each year in the US on ads, according to ATRA, often targeting low-income and minority communities. 
• Victims are promised “big settlements,” but many are left with crippling medical debt when cases fail, or lose up to half of their settlements to attorney fees. 
• Unlike some other state and federal laws, California has no limits on attorney contingency fees in these types of cases. 
• Hidden costs and kickbacks between attorneys and medical providers inflate medical bills and drive up the cost of insurance and care. 
• Experts estimate abusive practices like these act as a “hidden tax” of more than $5,400 per year on every Californian, through higher prices for insurance, healthcare, and even rideshares.

This Abuse Causes Real Harm

• Victims lose twice—first in the accident, then again when their attorneys take much of their settlement. 
• Unnecessary Surgeries and Procedures: Lawyers can push victims to undergo unnecessary surgeries and procedures to inflate settlement values. 
• Network of Kickback Referrals: Some lawyers form special arrangements with individual doctors to always use them for referrals, with the understanding that they will inflate patient costs significantly in order to secure higher payouts in the eventual lawsuit. 
• Consumers pay more with inflated auto insurance, transportation services and medical debt.
• Taxpayers end up footing the bill: In the City of Los Angeles, the City Controller liability database shows traffic collisions consistently rank among the largest liability payouts. From FY 2020-2023, the City paid $88.8 million in traffic collision claims. Los Angeles County reported 1,218 vehicle-liability claims in FY 2023-24, a 13.9% increase over the prior year.

The Solution: Fairness for Victims and Consumers

• Guarantee Auto Accident Victims Keep at Least 75% of Awards 
  • Caps attorney fees at 25%, ensuring most settlement funds go to victims, not lawyers.
• Ban Kickbacks and Hidden Fees 
  • Protects victims from taking on significant medical debt by ending unethical financial relationships between attorneys and medical providers. 
  • Prevents ordering unnecessary or dangerous medical procedures for profit.
• Protect Whistleblowers 
  • Establishes strong whistleblower protections for victims, healthcare professionals, or staff who expose fraud or abuse. 
• Stop Inflated Medical Payouts 
  • Sets objective standards for recovery of medical damages to help stop victims from being overbilled and overtreated for their injuries. 
  • Prevents manipulation of medical billing that makes auto accident victims worse off and ultimately increases costs for everyone. 
  • Reduces the burden of healthcare and insurance fraud on California families.

Learn more at protectcaliforniaconsumers.com.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Nathan Click, [email protected]