Julie Griffiths: Gray’s efforts to fight predatory lawsuits applauded
Re “Merced’s Gray lauded for effort on reform to ADA lawsuits” (Page 2A Dec. 3): We applaud Assemblymember Gray’s efforts to stop ADA shakedown lawsuits against small businesses.
Unfortunately, the well-intended Americans with Disabilities Act law is riddled with loopholes that make it easy for predatory lawyers to terrorize small businesses. They threaten litigation over the most minor of infractions in hopes business owners will pay a settlement to avoid losing their business and livelihoods. Every dollar spent fighting these lawsuits is one less dollar spent building our local economy.
To be clear, these lawsuits are about money – not giving businesses time to comply with the law and promoting access for the disabled. To Assemblymember Gray’s efforts to introduce reform to the state’s well-intentioned but flawed law – we say bravo!
Julie Griffiths, Central Valley Director of California Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse, Sacramento
This story was originally published December 9, 2015 at 11:21 AM with the headline "Julie Griffiths: Gray’s efforts to fight predatory lawsuits applauded."