71 replies to this topic

[Darthvader]

let's not forget, one of the regular posters on this site filed a similar lawsuit against FCUSD and FHS 2 years after he graduated because "they didn't protect him from harassment based on his sexual orientation."
Both cases were about picking up an easy buck rather than redress of actual damage.
(By the way this post comes from someone who was a successful litigation atty. for a number of years. Now I cringe when I hear of suits like these)

He also kicked over my "YES ON 8" sign too!

[Steve Heard]

It's a terrible thing. The system needs to be in place to protect innocent people from scammers, but scammers use the system to against innocent people.

I once had a crappy employee, who after 2 months on the job, started pissing off customers and fellow employees. I counseled him. He then told me he was diabetic and needed work out every day, and wanted to take a 2 hour lunch to do so.

I am a bit of an excercise fanatic, with a few diabetics in my family. I told him to do what I do; work out in the morning or after work. He called in sick the next day, and stayed out over a week, though he would call daily to tell employees that he wasn't really sick, knowing that they'd tell me. I fired his lazy fat arse.

He filed a lawsuit against me claiming that I discriminate against people with disabilities. I vowed to fight it, but eventually settled. I think it was about $20K (he was suing for $300,000).

I found out that he had filed suits against:

An employer, for discrimination based on the fact that he was male and the managers were female and they made comments about men at the office.

An employer, for discrimination based on sexual orientation because someone asked him if he was gay (he was obviously so), and he was humiliation and offended by the question, and it created a hostile work environment.

He threatened to file a suit against the employment agency who placed him with me because they refused to work with him again.

He sued his neighbor over the the installation of a hot tub.

He threatened to sue 24 Hour Fitness because they had a '12 Days of Christmas' promotion where you could use the gym for free for 12 day. He wanted to use the days whenver he wanted to, rather than during the 12 days of Christmas. I knew the manager over there, and this clown told him, 'It doesn't say 12 days in a row, so I should be able to use them one at a time, indefinitely.'

The nerve of this guy suing for false advertising on something he was getting for free! The manager told me he wanted to take the guy out back and beat the crap out of him.

They changed the wording the following year to include 'must be used for 12 consecutive days.'

[Coastal Cohort]

It's a terrible thing. The system needs to be in place to protect innocent people from scammers, but scammers use the system to against innocent people.

I once had a crappy employee, who after 2 months on the job, started pissing off customers and fellow employees. I counseled him. He then told me he was diabetic and needed work out every day, and wanted to take a 2 hour lunch to do so.

I am a bit of an excercise fanatic, with a few diabetics in my family. I told him to do what I do; work out in the morning or after work. He called in sick the next day, and stayed out over a week, though he would call daily to tell employees that he wasn't really sick, knowing that they'd tell me. I fired his lazy fat arse.

He filed a lawsuit against me claiming that I discriminate against people with disabilities. I vowed to fight it, but eventually settled. I think it was about $20K (he was suing for $300,000).

I found out that he had filed suits against:

An employer, for discrimination based on the fact that he was male and the managers were female and they made comments about men at the office.

An employer, for discrimination based on sexual orientation because someone asked him if he was gay (he was obviously so), and he was humiliation and offended by the question, and it created a hostile work environment.

He threatened to file a suit against the employment agency who placed him with me because they refused to work with him again.

He sued his neighbor over the the installation of a hot tub.

He threatened to sue 24 Hour Fitness because they had a '12 Days of Christmas' promotion where you could use the gym for free for 12 day. He wanted to use the days whenver he wanted to, rather than during the 12 days of Christmas. I knew the manager over there, and this clown told him, 'It doesn't say 12 days in a row, so I should be able to use them one at a time, indefinitely.'

The nerve of this guy suing for false advertising on something he was getting for free! The manager told me he wanted to take the guy out back and beat the crap out of him.

They changed the wording the following year to include 'must be used for 12 consecutive days.'

These type of stories make me so mad!
I really think it should be a criteria of an ADA (or similar type of) lawsuit, that it can't be settled with money, it must be settled with ADA compliance. right? isn't that the point of these law suits - to get folks to comply with ADA laws?

[eVader]

STD's story is frightening and would think unbelievable. Scary that it was better to settle and pay out $20K vs. attorney fees defending you or worse a softy court that awards the $300K. No wonder things keep going up and up in price. Used to be bungie jumping would be expensive because it has an inherent danger now it's any business.

[mylo]

There was a guy going around to all the small wineries up the hill suing them for non-ADA compliance. I understand why the laws exist, but many of those guys are running out of a shed in their backyard. Some were forced to close simply because they couldn't afford to fix or settle.

[brown]

let's not forget, one of the regular posters on this site filed a similar lawsuit against FCUSD and FHS 2 years after he graduated because "they didn't protect him from harassment based on his sexual orientation."
Both cases were about picking up an easy buck rather than redress of actual damage.
(By the way this post comes from someone who was a successful litigation atty. for a number of years. Now I cringe when I hear of suits like these)

What idiotic speculation. Nice way to get a dig in.

[Al Waysrite]

He also kicked over my "YES ON 8" sign too!

Maybe you should sue him!

[kellismom]

There are a lot of lawyers and other people in California making very good livings just filing ADA lawsuits and then settling because it is easier and cheaper to settle than to go through the suit. It's a disgusting practice but it is happening.

Seriously......can we, the general public, sue people like this guy just for being annoying? Isn't there a cap on the number of lawsuits one can file? What a waste of time and resources for being inconvenienced. It would be one thing if there were no ramp at all or if he suffered injury in any of these instances. But instead, those being sued have to bend over and take it in the ........

I am not insensitive to this at all. My dad is disabled as well and something as simple as a phone call has worked in the past to make a point. If my dad went around suing everyone to supplement his income when I was a kid, I would drop out of school and run away. How embarrassing.

I am sure the other disabled folks are embarrassed as well.

[asbestoshills]

Why I don't condone all of these lawsuits (especially if the company or city tried to comply), it's hard to believe that a public building such as a school doesn't automatically comply to the ADA standards of whatever year the building was made...THe difference between the USA and other countries that shun their handicapped is our belief that the handicapped are handicapable and should be mainstreamed....

[Deb aka Resume Lady]

Why I don't condone all of these lawsuits (especially if the company or city tried to comply), it's hard to believe that a public building such as a school doesn't automatically comply to the ADA standards of whatever year the building was made...

Agreed. And given the fact that they evidently don't comply on some aspects, it would be interesting to know if this man brought the discrepancies in compliance to the attention of the district to no avail, or if he headed straight for a lawsuit.

[john]

Agreed. And given the fact that they evidently don't comply on some aspects, it would be interesting to know if this man brought the discrepancies in compliance to the attention of the district to no avail, or if he headed straight for a lawsuit.

One such accusation is that signage was 6 inches too high. Anything that easy to fix could be fixed in 5 minutes. I guarantee he went straight to his lawyer, who is more than happy to accomodate.

[Deb aka Resume Lady]

One such accusation is that signage was 6 inches too high. Anything that easy to fix could be fixed in 5 minutes.

And I'm guessing a judge would lean on the side of good faith effort. The problem is it's cheaper and easier to settle than to allow these cases to go to court, so guys like this win, win, win, and public places -- such as the school in this instance -- lose. There really should be better laws to prohibit people from profiting off of such frivolous lawsuits.

[jafount]

this is the same douche who sued the owner of Mel and Faye's diner in Jackson. it had been in the same building since 1950 something and this guy comes along and sues for lack of crapper access. The owner (original owners son) had to write a check just to make the bastard go away. he said he never even laid eyes on the guy, he just had to pay up.

[sat]

I feel sorry for his daughter. High school can be tough enough, yet going to school knowing that her fellow students and teachers are fully aware of this lawsuit is probably embarassing to her.

In the end, if he wins any amount of money, he is hurting the students, including his very own daughter. I realize school disctricts have insurance for these types of lawsuits, but, still, someone has to pay. Any substantial award would obviously impact a school district's budget, leading to further cuts, therefore impacting his daughter's education.

If the school is not complying, then let it come up to code, but don't sue for monetary gain. In my opinion, he is not acting as a true father by not putting his daughter's welfare first. Instead, he comes across as a sue-happy fanatic.

[normajean]

50 lawsuits
44 have been settled
at least that explains why i see this man and his wife (?) ALL over town, no need to have a job!!

in the news clip it shows the stairs in front of the office building. then it shows the man having to go his 30 yards down the sidewalk to the LEFT of the office, presumably around that bldg, etc., to access the office. what it neglects to show is that if the man turns his wheelchair around and travels approximately 20/25 feet on the sidewalk toward the RIGHT of the office bldg, he be able to use the same sidewalk i use (as do most visitors/parents because it is right next to the parking lot!) when i need to go to the office. no stairs, no problem. i'm just sayin.....