By Minh N. Vu
Seyfarth synopsis: We predict 2022 will look a lot like 2021 with roughly the same number of lawsuits and DOJ pushing the boundaries of the ADA.
Like 2020, 2021 was a tough year for businesses. Still dealing with the constantly-changing COVID-19 landscape, businesses were also bombarded with what may be another record number of ADA Title
Continue Reading Crystal Ball 2022: More Aggressive DOJ Enforcement, More Lawsuits, and Maybe a New Rulemaking.
By Julia N. Sarnoff and John W. Egan
Seyfarth Synopsis: A massive surge in website accessibility lawsuits filed in the Southern District of New York suggests some holiday forum shopping by the plaintiffs-side bar.
The Seyfarth ADA Title III Team wishes all of our readers a very happy holiday season!
As many of you already know, our Team monitors
Continue Reading Forum Shopping For a Website Lawsuit Over the Holidays? Look No Further than the SDNY.
By Minh N. Vu
Seyfarth synopsis: The Ninth Circuit holds that a restaurant’s practice of exclusively providing service at the drive-through and refusing to serve pedestrians at the drive-through line does not violate the ADA.
Many fast food restaurants nowadays take food orders and deliver food exclusively at the drive-through window during certain business hours. Due to safety concerns, at
Continue Reading Ninth Circuit Says Restaurant Does Not Discriminate Against the Blind By Providing Only Drive-Through Service
Seyfarth Synopsis: On October 18, the DFEH issued Guidance which expressly approves denial of entry to individuals who cannot show a negative COVID test or proof of vaccination, refuse to have their temperature taken or respond to COVID-19 symptom screening questions, subject to providing reasonable accommodations to customers with disabilities.
In the latest COVID-related quandary, businesses
Continue Reading COVID Confusion Clarity: California DFEH Issues Guidance for Businesses Confronting Vaccination and Testing Exemption Requests
By Minh N. Vu
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Biden DOJ Civil Rights Division has been much more active than its predecessor in enforcing Title III of the ADA and supporting plaintiffs in pending litigation.
As we predicted in January, the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice (DOJ) under the Biden Administration has been very busy. In the nine months
Continue Reading Biden Department of Justice Steps up ADA Title III Enforcement
By Minh Vu, Kristina Launey, Susan Ryan
Seyfarth Synopsis: ADA Title III lawsuit filings in federal courts on pace for a record year.
Regular readers will doubtless recall that 2020 was a down year (but just barely) for lawsuits filed in federal court alleging violations of Title III of the ADA. Our mid-year total was 4,751, due to
Continue Reading ADA Title III Federal Mid-Year Lawsuit Numbers at an All-Time High
By: John W. Egan
Seyfarth Synopsis: In navigating the contentious issue of COVID-19 passports, businesses need to be aware of their obligations to make reasonable modifications to their policies, practices and procedures applicable to patrons with disabilities.
New York City recently announced that it would require COVID-19 vaccination passports for many indoor activities. Conversely, some jurisdictions such as Florida and
Continue Reading Businesses Face Uncertain Landscape in Navigating COVID-19 Vaccination Passports for Customers
By Lotus Cannon and Minh vu
Seyfarth Synopsis: After holding a consolidated evidentiary hearing, District Judge Brenda K. Sannes concluded that Plaintiff Deborah Laufer did not have standing to bring 17 lawsuits alleging that hotels failed to provide adequate accessibility information on their online reservations systems.
Last month, June 2021, Judge Sannes of the Northern District of New York dismissed
Continue Reading NY Federal Judge Puts the Kibosh on 17 Reservations Website Lawsuits Filed by Same Plaintiff
By Minh N. Vu
Seyfarth Synopsis: California federal trial court grants summary judgment for plaintiff, finding Domino’s violated the ADA by having a website that is inaccessible to the blind and orders Domino’s bring its website into compliance with the WCAG 2.0 guidelines.
Five years after the lawsuit was first filed, federal district court judge Jesus Bernal ruled on June
Continue Reading Court finds Domino’s Pizza Violated the ADA by Having an Inaccessible Website and Orders WCAG Compliance
Seyfarth Synopsis: A federal judge precluded the plaintiff from multiplying his statutory damages under the Unruh Act by his alleged number of visits to the defendant’s business.
California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act (“Unruh Act”) provides for the recovery of the greater of actual damages or $4,000 in statutory damages for “each particular occasion” of access denial. (Civil
Continue Reading Federal Judge Rejects Plaintiff’s Attempt to Inflate Unruh Act Statutory Damages by Making Multiple Visits to Business