Explaining New Laws in California for 2024 – Employment, Personal Injury, and more
2024 will see new laws in California that may affect personal injury, workers’ comp, or employment cases.
As 2023 comes to a close, a bevy of new laws in California will go into effect on January 1st, 2024.
Some of the biggest changes for new laws in California are regarding employment. California already has some of the country’s strictest employment laws, many of which are highly beneficial to workers in the Golden State.
Minimum wage increases
For example, the state’s minimum wage will increase from $15.50 an hour to $16.00 an hour.
Additionally, there will be increases for certain professions. Fast Food workers of chains that have 60 or more locations across the country will see their minimum wage increase to $20.00 an hour, while healthcare workers will see a growth to $23.00 an hour in June.
Return to the Office
While work from home undoubtedly became bigger during the COVID-19 pandemic, many employers have now required workers to return to the office. With the new law SB 731, all employers must provide a 30-day written notice before requiring employees to return to an in-person work environment.
Cannabis use in the Workplace
Another one of the new laws in California that will impact employment is SB 700. This law will make it unlawful for employers to discriminate against anyone in hiring, termination, or any term or condition of employment regarding off-the-clock use of cannabis.
Retaliation in the Workplace
In terms of retaliation, SB 497 will make it easier for employees to establish a retaliation claim against their employer under what is being called the Equal Pay and Anti-Retaliation Act.
Bicycle Laws
One of the new laws in California that could alter personal injury cases involving bicycle riders is Assembly Bill 1909. According to the new law, bicyclists must follow all signals if any traffic control signals show different colored bicycle symbols at the same time as official traffic control signals.
This law could make it more difficult for bike riders to successfully file a personal injury claim if they weren’t obeying traffic signals.
Additionally, there are a few new laws in California that could affect drivers. Afterall, there are 35 million registered vehicles in California.
Pedestrian Crosswalks
First, drivers will be prohibited from parking “within 20 feet of the vehicle-approach side of a crosswalk”. The goal is to help prevent pedestrian accidents and fatalities by assisting both other drivers on the road and those crossing the street see better.
Speed Cameras
One of the other new laws in California with the potential to affect drivers across the state is AB 645. Multiple cities, including Los Angeles, Glendale, and Long Beach, can install speed cameras in “school zones, high-injury networks and areas that are popular for street racing” under this law.
Police Officers
Assembly bill 2773 will require all law enforcement to tell all drivers the reason they have been pulled over before asking any questions. The goal is to help prevent discrimination and racial profiling.
Other new laws in California will go into effect regarding rentals and housing.
Security Deposits
Going into effect in July, California law AB 12 will cap renters security deposits at no more than one month’s rent. Furthermore, “owners of no more than two rental properties, comprising no more than four units, can request up to two months’ rent” for a security deposit.
Costa-Hawkins and Permanent Disabilities
Law AB 1620 was signed in October. The law will allow tenants to “maintain the same rent if they make a request to the landlord to move to a comparable or smaller unit in the same building due to a permanent disability related to mobility”
In order for the move to be allowed:
- The tenant must be current on rent.
- The tenant’s move must be necessary to accommodate their physical disability related to a mobility-related disability.
- There are no operating elevators on the tenant’s current floor.
- The new unit is in the same building or on the same “parcel “with at least four other units and shares the same owner as the previous unit.
- The new unit does not require renovation to comply with any health or safety codes
- The owner of the unit must continue to receive a fair rate of return or offer an administrative procedure ensuring a fair rate of return.
It’s important to remember that just because new laws in California go into effect in 2024 doesn’t mean that everyone will adhere to them.
Imagine a situation where it’s discovered that Renee was using cannabis recreationally at home. Her employer decides to terminate her on the basis of her cannabis use.
Under the new laws in California, Renee has a case against her employer for wrongful termination.
There are a large number of ways employees may be treated unfairly in the workplace, including:
- Wage & Hour Violations
- Discrimination
- Sexual Harassment
Employees may be discriminated against for a wide variety of reasons, such as:
- Age
- Pregnancy
- Race
- Disability
- Sex/Gender
- Sexual Orientation
Discrimination can even effect tenants trying to rent a home. While the new Costa-Hawkins law will try to help prevent disability discrimination against current tenants, the probability of one being discriminated against is still plausible.
Laws may also play an advantage to those injured in car accidents.
Speeding is one of the most common causes of car accidents in Los Angeles. In fact, recent studies from the National Safety Council revealed that speeding accounts for 29 percent of all traffic fatalities nationwide.
If some of the aforementioned cities installed speed cameras, dangerous speeds could be recorded to help signal if someone was driving recklessly and disobeying posted limits.
There are numerous injuries one can suffer in a car accident caused by speeding, including:
- Broken bones
- Neck injuries
- Concussions
- Cuts and lacerations
- Internal bleeding
- Back injuries
- Scarring or disfigurement
- Internal organ damage
- Paralysis
- Loss of limbs
- Death
The new laws in California will not change the fact that having the right attorney can make or break your case.
At C&B Law Group, our Los Angeles attorneys have decades of combined experience in personal injury, employment, and workers’ compensation law.
We’ve helped our clients recover millions of dollars in compensation, and we want to help you, too! We service clients across Southern California in areas such as:
- Los Angeles
- Burbank
- Glendale
- Long Beach
- South Gate
- Riverside
- Bakersfield
- Fresno
We want to assist you in recovering damages such as lost wages, medical expenses, or pain and suffering.
Additionally, we work on a contingency basis, so you won’t owe us attorney fees until after your case is settled.
Don’t hesitate. Contact C&B Law Group today about a free consultation.
