to the editor: California's handicap access laws serve an important purpose, but this Los Angeles Times story highlights a system that is clearly unbalanced (“One man has filed 1,800 disability lawsuits against Southern California stores. Store owners are fed up.” April 27).
A handful of serial plaintiffs filing hundreds, even thousands, of lawsuits for minor technical violations are not promoting accessibility; He is exploiting it. Small business owners, many of whom operate on slim margins, are forced to reach quick settlements not because they are unwilling to comply, but because the legal costs of fighting back are too high.
There is a better way forward. Policies such as “warn and cure”, such as Senate Bill 84 sponsored by Sen. Roger Niello (R-Fair Oaks), would give business owners the opportunity to resolve legitimate issues quickly, improving access without fueling lawsuit abuse.
California can and must protect the rights of people with disabilities while ensuring fairness for small businesses. Right now, the system fails to do both.
Victor Gomez, Hollister
This author is the executive director of Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse, a grassroots group fighting lawsuit abuse in California.
