Education Code 24500 grants the California State Teachers Retirement System a right of subrogation to the rights of a teacher to whom the Retirement System has paid disability retirement benefits as a result of injuries the teacher sustained by reason of a third party’s tort.  As with an employer’s payment of worker’s compensation benefits or CalPERS payment of disability retirement, the right of subrogation allows the Retirement System to recover from the third party tortfeasor the extra sums that the Retirement System paid because of the injury the third party’s tort caused.  If the teacher settles his claim against the tortfeasor without clearly settling only his own claim and not also the Retirement Systems–and without notifying the Retirement System before finalizing the settlement, the Retirement System can recoup its disability benefits from the teacher (up to the amount of the settlement).  Under these circumstances, Civil Code 3333.1 (part of MICRA) does not operate to curtail the Retirement System’s right to recover from the settling teacher.