News

Calif. businesses get relief from predatory ADA lawsuits

September 20, 2012

California governor Jerry Brown said Wednesday that he had signed into law SB1186, which will protect business owners in the state from frivolous lawsuits filed under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Portions of the law will take affect immediately.

The bill bans predatory practices including the use of "demand letters" that threaten legal action over an ADA  if the business does not make a settlement payment amounting to several thousand dollars, said a  report in the San Jose Mercury News.

The law also reduces damages for unintentional ADA violations that are remedied within two months, the Mercury reported. Plaintiffs may still sue for full liability in the case of a business that knowingly violates ADA regulations. 

For more on this topic, visit the ADA compliance research center.