Signatures to Limit Lawyer Fees Turned In

The California insurance industry filed about 550,000 signatures with county clerks Friday to qualify an initiative that would limit lawyers’ contingency fees to 25% of the first $50,000, 15% of the next $50,000 and 10% of anything over $100,000 of any damage awards through settlements, arbitration or judgments.

The filing announced by an industry spokesman was the last of five filings of various insurance initiatives. The secretary of state is expected to announce by the end of June how many have been verified toward the 372,178 signatures of registered voters required for the measures to appear on the November ballot.

In another initiative development, the 2nd District Court of Appeal in Los Angeles gave proponents of the “Voter Revolt” insurance initiative until June 13 to answer an insurance industry suit to keep that initiative off the ballot. The insurers charge that the initiative, which would roll back insurance rates, would violate the state Constitution and certain statutes.