A New California Legislation to Protect Businesses Against ADA Lawsuit Abuse

Soo Park was quoted in Korea Daily Newspaper on September 18, 2015. The article “A New California Legislation to Protect Businesses Against ADA Lawsuit Abuse” discussed how the Senate Bill 251 (SB 251), which passed in Senate on September 11, can protect businesses against predatory lawsuits based on disability access, by providing 120 days for businesses to fix their facilities by engaging a certified access specialist (CAS), during which businesses are exempt from any statutory damages.

Soo said, “There have been a numerous ADA abuse cases where ‘professional plaintiffs’ would go around to find businesses in non-compliance, just to file lawsuits for a quick buck. It has been difficult, especially for small businesses, having to defend the lawsuits, pay the settlement or penalties, and pay for the construction, too.” She added, “This legislation, if enacted, will help the government, businesses and persons with disabilities to work together to effectively enforce the law, because businesses can now spend their money to bring their structures into compliance, instead of spending them on legal fees and penalties.”

SB 251 has been enrolled and presented to the Governor on Sept. 16, and the Governor has thirty days to sign the bill.

To read the full article, please visit Korea Daily [in Korean].