The California state legislature has unanimously approved a bill designed to make jury trials faster and easier and to allow more plaintiffs with smaller claims to have their cases heard in court.
Californians are about to have a new cost added to their embrace of car loving lifestyles: a “first responder/accident responder” fee that would charge motorists responsible for car accidents the cost to the Fire Department for cleaning up the wreckage. San Francisco is the first major city in California to pass such a fee, and the SFFD expects to begin collecting on it within the next week. The fee would charge motorists up to $500 for cleanup associated with a crash and is expected to raise up to $626,000 a year. Meanwhile, other cities around the state including Sacramento, Modesto, and Fresno are all considering passing similar fees.