How Retail Owners Can Get Ahead of ADA Lawsuits

ADA compliance is important in all public spaces, but rapidly changing laws and requirements can make it hard for retail owners to keep up. As a result, these owners are often hit with ADA-compliance lawsuits, sometimes justified and sometimes frivolous, that can come with sizable settlements. Rick Rivera of CBM says that he is recommending that all retail landlords take proactive steps to mitigate loss from these lawsuits.

“ADA compliance has become one of the hot topics because of numerous lawsuits that come in on properties,” Rivera, president and CEO of CBM, tells GlobeSt.com. “Retail properties are one of the bigger targets because you have more people visiting the property and it is easy to spot issues, like proper ramps, proper striping, proper signage.”

While Rivera advocates for ADA compliance, he says that a lot of the lawsuits they receive are disingenuous. “I would say that 90% of the lawsuits that we get are from drive-by attorneys,” he says. “They are typically looking for a quick settlement. Some of them send out lawsuits en masse. It scares a lot of our clients.”