Garcia v. County of Sacramento

*71Opinion

BLEASE, J.

This case concerns the application of the collateral source rules of Government Code section 985 to a Medi-Cal lien.1

Under the common law rule, compensation for injuries received by an injured party from a source independent of the tortfeasor may not be deducted from the damages the plaintiff collects from the tortfeasor, nor may the defendant present evidence that the plaintiffs medical expenses have been paid by an independent source. (Hernandez v. California Hospital Medical Center (2000) 78 Cal.App.4th 498, 504-505 [93 Cal.Rptr.2d 97].)

Section 985 applies the rule where…