Fighting ADA Lawsuits

Disabled veteran files dozens of ADA lawsuits; Vallejo businesses fight ‘vexatious litigation’

By Rachel Raskin-Zrihen / Times-Herald
07/23/11

Vallejo business owner Joseph Kish calls it blackmail. Others have called it extortion. The state of California officially calls it “vexatious litigation.”

But George Louie, a 64-year-old disabled veteran who has filed possibly thousands of lawsuits statewide over Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, has called it an equal rights crusade. Louie is believed to reside in West Sacramento, though he did not return calls for comment Friday.

The professional litigant filed some two dozen lawsuits in Vallejo last month, mostly against small businesses over alleged insufficient handicap parking. Louie has said he’s on a mission to make business owners comply with rules making access easier for those with disabilities. Read the full article »