The Mesa Chamber of Commerce says local businesses are being targeted and sued for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. But those behind the lawsuits maintain that after 26 years of being on the books, businesses should comply with the ADA for one simple reason: it’s the law.
The Mesa Chamber of Commerce says hundreds of lawsuits have been filed already this year. The violations pertain to parking issues— signs being posted too low or too high is one example.
It’s a double edged sword, really. On one hand, businesses violated the law. On the other, does the punishment— settlements in the thousands of dollars— fit the crime?
Lindsay Leavitt represents around 135 defendants. "I think most of these business, mom and pop shops all the way up to publicly traded companies...where they disagree is the manner and scope and [the] number of lawsuits that have been filed," he explained. "At this point there have been 925 lawsuits filed without any warning and I think they feel like they were blindsided."
The organization suing is the Advocates for Individuals with Disabilities Foundation or AID.org. Their attorney, Peter Strojnik, says he’s not in it for the money. He wants businesses to comply with the law.
"The judges will invariably say...it is important for defendants to remember that [the] plaintiff is the victim, not the ADA lawbreaker," Strojnik said.
Strojnik says he will continue to sue businesses that aren’t ADA compliant. In the meantime, AID.org says it has mailed out 40,000 letters warning businesses that they could be next.
