ada violation
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The yin and yang of ADA defense. Perilous settlements and temporary victories
A couple of district court decisions from late February should both comfort and warn ADA defendants. Gutierrez v. Chung, 2013 WL 655141 (E.D. Cal. 2013) reminds us that settlement alone doesn’t resolve an ADA violation. The only permanent solution is remediation. National Alliance for Accessibility, Inc. v. Millbank Hotel Partners, 2013 WL 653955 (D. Md. Continue reading
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Booths, tables and discrimination beyond the ADA Standards.
A few careless words in an opinion can spawn dozens of lawsuits and may create precedents that cost property owners and operators tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees if not in remediation costs. The question of whether compliance with ADA Standards and Guidelines is sufficient to avoid an ADA claim illustrates just how Continue reading
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It’s time to apply Iqbal and Twombly to ADA pleadings
Defendants are frequently and justifiably annoyed by the usual style of pleading in ADA accessibility cases. It appears that a few courts, although a minority, have begun to apply ordinary federal pleading standards to these claims, which will make it much easier to obtain dismissal of those without real merit. Many ADA plaintiffs are cagey, Continue reading
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The Nitty Gritty – regulatory details that matter in the defense of ADA and FHA lawsuits
I’ve observed that in many ADA and FHA cases there is little dispute about the existence of barriers to access, but this isn’t always true. A decision from the Seventh Circuit in the first week of January serves as a reminder that sometimes the outcome of a case turns on the nitty gritty of the Continue reading
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Professionals take note – there is more to the ADA than physical access.
On January 3rd the Justice Department announced a settlement that reminds professionals of our obligation under the ADA to be prepared to communicate with clients and others who may want to sue our services. The settlement involved a law firm with a debt collection practice. (The full text of the settlement is at http://www.ada.gov/peroutka_sa.htm). When deaf or hearing Continue reading
