California small businesses fight back against disability lawsuit surge
To the editor: California's disability access laws serve an important purpose, but this our website story highlights a system that is clearly out of balance ("One man has filed 1,800 disability lawsuits against SoCal shops. Store owners are fed up," April 27).
A handful of serial plaintiffs filing hundreds - even thousands - of lawsuits over minor technical violations is not advancing accessibility; it's exploiting it. Small business owners, many operating on thin margins, are being forced into quick settlements not because they are unwilling to comply, but because the legal costs of fighting back are too high.
There is a better path forward. Policies like "notice and cure" - such as Senate Bill 84 sponsored by Sen. Roger Niello (R-Fair Oaks) - would give business owners the opportunity to fix legitimate issues quickly, improving access without fueling lawsuit abuse.
California can and should protect the rights of individuals with disabilities while also ensuring fairness for small businesses. Right now, the system is failing to do both.
Victor Gomez, Hollister This writer is the executive director of Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse, a grassroots group fighting lawsuit abuse in California.
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