This California bill would benefit trial lawyers at taxpayers’ expense | Opinion

As a Central Coast county supervisor, I know what it’s like to sit through long meetings balancing budgets that never seem to stretch far enough. Local governments across California are grappling with serious deficits. The decisions we face are anything but theoretical — cut services, raise taxes, or both.

Instead of offering real solutions, Sacramento is pushing a proposal that could make things worse.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, lawmakers passed a temporary measure to help plaintiffs whose personal injury cases were delayed by backlogged courts. It allowed the estate of a deceased person to recover an additional set of damages — unlimited pain and suffering — on top of unlimited compensatory and punitive damages already allowed, and separate wrongful death claims filed by the family.

This kind of “triple recovery” has never existed before in California law. It was meant as a short-term fix. But now, trial attorneys want to keep it going.

Senate Bill 29, introduced by Senator John Laird (D–Santa Cruz), would extend this COVID-era exception for another four years. And let’s not kid ourselves — this bill isn’t about justice, it’s about money. Trial lawyers see an opportunity for bigger payouts. Meanwhile, local governments are left holding the bag.

Here’s what that means in real terms: Many counties and cities in California are self-insured. That means when there’s a big lawsuit, the bill doesn’t go to some insurance company. It comes straight out of our general fund — the same fund we use to pay sheriff’s deputies, firefighters, public health nurses and the people who fill potholes and pick up your trash.

Communities rely on us to deliver basic, everyday services. Those don’t just appear out of thin air — they cost money. And if SB 29 passes, that money will increasingly go to courtroom settlements instead of community needs.

I’m not saying victims shouldn’t be compensated. Of course they should. But fair compensation isn’t the same as excessive, duplicative awards that tip the scales and destabilize already-struggling local budgets.

I’ve seen firsthand how one major payout can derail months of planning and force departments to freeze hiring or cut back on programs. It’s not theoretical — it’s happening.

SB 29 may have been defensible in the middle of a global health crisis, but those days are behind us. Our legal system still offers multiple, meaningful paths for families to seek justice.

What we don’t need is a policy that favors lawsuits over local services.

If SB 29 becomes law, the winners will be clear: trial attorneys. The losers? Taxpayers .Neighborhoods. First responders. The people waiting longer for help to arrive.

We need to focus on keeping our communities safe and solvent — not making it easier to sue them into financial ruin.

Bob Nelson is a Santa Barbara county supervisor.

This story was originally published August 30, 2025 at 5:00 AM.