ADA Sign Depot Blog — ADA Law

For passengers who use wheelchairs, air travel in the United States can be an embarrassing, uncomfortable and perilous prospect.

“To me, it’s extortion pure and simple,” said owner Mark Rogers. “If I was incorrect in something I would want to fix it. If you gave me a ticket and said, you’ve got seven days, 14 days, whatever it may be, I’d do it gladly. That’s a win for me, a win for the handicapped person. But right now it’s only a win for somebody who is laughing at the court system, which isn’t right.”

Garcia has filed more than 100 lawsuits this year alone. He’s what is referred to as a “serial plaintiff” in a cottage industry that is especially lucrative in California. That’s because while federal law doesn’t provide for damages, California state law does.

“California, it’s dramatically out of whack, so to speak,” said Cris Vaughan, an ADA defense attorney. He says under California’s Unruh Act, civil rights law plaintiffs can also claim up to $4,000 dollars per visit. And they can visit the same business multiple times.

“So that’s why we have so many of these lawsuits in California,” said Vaughan.