To the courts!

Most people know that Scott Johnson is from the Sacramento area. Specifically, Scott Johnson lives in Carmichael, California, a sleepy suburb of Sacramento. But geography does not stop Scott Johnson from filing his ADA lawsuits all over California.

Scott Johnson Has Been Very Busy in Santa Clara County

As evidenced by this report in the Los Altos Town Crier in which I was quoted, Scott Johnson has been very busy in Santa Clara County. Scott Johnson has been suing small businesses all over the county, including in San Jose, Los Altos, Menlo Park, Mountain View, and other cities.

Almost no category of business has been safe from Scott Johnson. He has been suing convenience stores, furniture stores, fast food restaurants, motels and hotels, and small retail businesses.

On some days, we see Scott Johnson file over five federal lawsuits. This is an extremely high number of lawsuits for one individual to file in a single day. This repeats day after day. Scott Johnson appears to be filing most of his lawsuits in the Northern District of California which covers the Bay Area.

It is Time to Inspect Your Business for ADA Compliance

ADA plaintiffs such as Scott Johnson make no apologies for their targeting of small businesses. The absolute best strategy for avoiding these lawsuits is to fully comply with the ADA.

I strongly recommend that all business owners and commercial landlords obtain bi-annual CASP reports. If you don’t already know, CASP reports are accessibility surveys performed by state-licensed inspectors. A good CASP report will highlight any accessibility deficiencies. Without this knowledge, a business owner or landlord really has no roadmap to ADA compliance.

Always Start Working on the Outside

It is no secret that a vast majority of ADA lawsuits are filed over the lack of accessible parking. Why is that? Because a plaintiff can see the lack of ADA parking from outer space on Google Maps! The lack of ADA parking leaves businesses vulnerable to drive-by ADA lawsuits. Why make it so easy for these professional plaintiffs?

Don’t forget about required ADA parking signage. It is not sufficient to have the correct ADA parking spaces striped. People like Scott Johnson commonly file lawsuits over incorrect signage, slopes, and paths of travel.

Have you been served with an ADA lawsuit? Call my office today at (916) 333-2222 to discuss your options.