Medical Injuries Compensation Reform Act: Unconstitutional Until Proven Otherwise

Overcharging and neglect are the two most common client complaints. Lawyers must not “enter into an agreement for, charge, or collect an illegal or unconscionable fee”. This chapter focuses on the Medical Injuries Compensation Reform Act (MICRA), enacted by the California legislature in 1975, which set limits on the contingent fees of plaintiffs' lawyers and required them to give clients a duplicate copy of the retainer.

Overcharging and neglect are the two most common client complaints. Lawyers must not “enter into an agreement for, charge, or collect an illegal or unconscionable fee”. This chapter focuses on the Medical Injuries Compensation Reform Act (MICRA), enacted by the California legislature in 1975, which set limits on the contingent fees of plaintiffs' lawyers and required them to give clients a duplicate copy of the retainer.