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Congressman Initiates ADA Reform
https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2016/03/10/congressman-ada-reform/22021/
Congressman Initiates ADA Reform
by Garth Stapley, The Modesto Bee/TNS | March 10, 2016
STOCKTON, Calif. – The legislative battle against some predatory lawsuits – a nearly impossible task at the state level – is jumping from California to Washington, D.C., U.S. Rep. Jerry McNerney said this week.
He referred to the Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires that businesses make life easier for customers with disabilities. Critics say it’s being used in concert with California law to extort payouts from bewildered companies without helping those with disabilities much.
Special reports by The Modesto Bee and Merced Sun-Star in 2014 found that more than 60 businesses had been slapped with ADA lawsuits in Stanislaus and Merced counties. Barnwood Restaurant & Catering in Ripon and Ming’s Restaurant in Los Banos closed rather than fight in court or buckle to settlement demands for tens of thousands of dollars.
Some drive-by plaintiffs “have no intention of entering and enjoying a business,” said McNerney, whose 9th Congressional District includes parts of San Joaquin, Contra Costa and Sacramento counties.
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Some plaintiffs in Stanislaus County and Merced cases were behind numerous lawsuits, The Bee and Sun-Star found. They include Robert McCarthy, an Arizona man who has sued hundreds of California businesses over 14 years, except when incarcerated on child pornography and fraud convictions.
McCarthy and others have sued in federal court as well as at the county level.
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Congressman Initiates ADA Reform
by Garth Stapley, The Modesto Bee/TNS | March 10, 2016
STOCKTON, Calif. – The legislative battle against some predatory lawsuits – a nearly impossible task at the state level – is jumping from California to Washington, D.C., U.S. Rep. Jerry McNerney said this week.
“A fairly small number of individuals and firms are causing this havoc in our businesses,” McNerney, D-Calif., said while announcing federal legislation aimed at significant reform. “A handful of bad actors have taken advantage of the law just to make money.”
He referred to the Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires that businesses make life easier for customers with disabilities. Critics say it’s being used in concert with California law to extort payouts from bewildered companies without helping those with disabilities much.
Special reports by The Modesto Bee and Merced Sun-Star in 2014 found that more than 60 businesses had been slapped with ADA lawsuits in Stanislaus and Merced counties. Barnwood Restaurant & Catering in Ripon and Ming’s Restaurant in Los Banos closed rather than fight in court or buckle to settlement demands for tens of thousands of dollars.
Some drive-by plaintiffs “have no intention of entering and enjoying a business,” said McNerney, whose 9th Congressional District includes parts of San Joaquin, Contra Costa and Sacramento counties.
<>
Some plaintiffs in Stanislaus County and Merced cases were behind numerous lawsuits, The Bee and Sun-Star found. They include Robert McCarthy, an Arizona man who has sued hundreds of California businesses over 14 years, except when incarcerated on child pornography and fraud convictions.
McCarthy and others have sued in federal court as well as at the county level.
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