In late September, CALA partnered with the Fresno Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to host a very successful minority business roundtable to discuss lawsuit abuse in the Central Valley. Over 70 businessmen and women attended the nearly two hour breakfast meeting, and many told stories of how local businesses were targeted by lawsuit shakedowns. Many of these businesses were extorted for thousands of dollars. Sadly, others were forced to shut their doors.
The roundtable reviewed the new law regarding lawsuits alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) set forth in SB 1186 and determined it was weak step in the right direction in curbing lawsuit abuse surrounding California’s accessibility laws. The major discussion revolved around the question of why businesses still do not receive a reasonable time to fix a violation before a lawsuit can move forward. Sadly, it seems that even the most sensible and logical solutions to assure accessibility for all are not able to get past the legislature in Sacramento.
As they left the roundtable discussion, the Central Valley business owners pledged to continue fighting for more sensible laws and legislators that take steps to help California create jobs, not lawsuits.