A single prolific plaintiff’s yearslong run of disability-rights lawsuits has turned accessibility disputes into a recurring bill for small businesses across Los Angeles County. The complaints flag everything from slightly too-steep parking lots and counters that sit just out of reach to websites that will not cooperate with screen-reading software. Faced with the threat of statutory damages and mounting legal fees, many owners say it is cheaper to cut a check than to fight.
Court records reviewed by the Los Angeles Times show that a small cluster of repeat plaintiffs, often represented by the same Orange County law firm, has filed thousands of these suits. One of them, Anthony Bouyer, appears as a plaintiff in roughly 1,885 cases on the Times’ chart. The targets are usually modest neighborhood spots, from corner markets and counter-service eateries to mom-and-pop repair shops across the San Fernando Valley and beyond. Owners say the steady stream of filings feels less like a one-time hit and more like a chronic financial strain.
“This person is just suing anyone,” said Steven Barraza, whose family’s taco stand in Pacoima was served with one of the complaints. He told reporters the lawyer initially demanded $25,000 before the family negotiated the payment down to $10,000. In nearby Sylmar, another merchant told the Times his store paid about $14,000 to resolve a claim, and several owners said settlement offers landed before they had even gathered their records or measurements. Bouyer has described himself in a deposition as paralyzed following surgery and said he measures slopes with a 12-inch gauge; he did not respond to media questions, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Why do the damages add up
California law makes even small accessibility mistakes potentially expensive. The Unruh Civil Rights Act authorizes statutory damages that can start at $4,000 for certain violations, and other state statutes can pile on additional penalties and attorneys’ fees, according to the California Department of Rehabilitation. That minimum exposure, combined with the cost of hiring a lawyer and defending the case, often nudges small proprietors toward a quick settlement even when the underlying problem is minor and fixable…