For years, Scott Dinin was one of South Florida’s most prolific filers of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) cases. His run ended two years ago, when, after obtaining default judgments against two gas stations on behalf of his client, Alexander Johnson, Dinin submitted a request for
Articles Discussing General Topics Under the ADA
Incentives: From Water Bottles to “Not so Substantial”
For years (and I do mean years), the EEOC has waffled about whether incentives were permissible in connection with a medical inquiry under a voluntary wellness program. Friday, the EEOC issued its most recent pronouncement on the topic, this time related to incentives for COVID-19 vaccinations.
The ADA prohibits employers
For Once, Good Deed Goes Unpunished
What is an employer’s risk in terminating an employee who has suffered an injury or becomes disabled and no longer can perform the essential functions of the position? How can that risk be lowered?
The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals recently addressed this issue in Conners v. Wilkie, a lawsuit
Connecticut Medical Marijuana User Could Not Proceed With ADA Claims
The District Court of Connecticut dismissed employment discrimination claims asserted under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) with regard to state authorized medical marijuana use. Eccleston v. City of Waterbury, No. 3:19-cv-1614, 2021 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 52835 (D. Conn. Mar. 22, 2021).
The employee was employed as a firefighter by
Alabama Worker’s ADA Suit Runs Out of Air: Federal Court Dismisses Failure to Accommodate and Retaliation Claims
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama recently granted summary judgment to United States Steel Corporation, finding that the company did not deny Raymond Carr III, a former employee with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a reasonable accommodation or constructively discharge him for requesting an accommodation and
First Circuit Weighs in on ADA’s ‘Single Integrated Employer’ Test and Reckless Indifference Standard for Punitive Damages
In Burnett v. Ocean Properties, Ltd., et al., the First Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a jury verdict for the plaintiff in his failure to accommodate claim under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Maine Human Rights Act (MHRA). The court’s opinion provides a useful reference for the
Employer Fitness for Duty Policy Survives Disability Discrimination Claim
A district court ruled that a long-time railroad trackman, who was pulled from service following safety complaints from his coworkers and supervisors, failed to prove that he was considered disabled under the ADA, and failed to prove that his employer (the railroad) violated the ADA when it required him to
Sixth Circuit Strikes Down Contractually Shortened Limitations Period for Claims Under ADA, ADEA
The statute of limitation periods in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) give rise to substantive, non-waivable rights rendering a contractually shortened limitation period unenforceable, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has held.
Bill Introduced In Congress to Create Website Accessibility Standards
Legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives to try to alleviate the lack of clarity concerning how companies are supposed to make websites accessible to vision impaired individuals. There is currently no law or regulations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) directly addressing technical or legal standards for
ADA Claims Fail When Employee Accepts Lateral Transfer
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has always been important for employers, and it has become increasingly so as the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact workplaces and businesses across the country and globe. A recent decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit provides additional guidance and contours regarding the ADA— and it reaffirmed the basic principles surrounding the reasonable accommodation process under the Act.
Federal Court Upholds Enforcement of Grocery Store’s Face-Covering Policy Over Customer Claims of Disability Discrimination
A Pennsylvania district court delivered good news for retailers struggling to balance enforcement of their face mask policies against the rights of customers who assert that their disabilities (or other factors) excuse them from wearing masks.
Request For Medical Examination Was Permissible Under ADA After Positive Drug Test Result
A federal court in Indiana dismissed an employee’s claim that his employer did not have the right to request a medical examination after he tested positive for drugs and subsequently admitted that he was taking numerous prescription medications that could create a safety risk. Beal v. Muncie Sanitary District, Case
Join Us! Annual Disability & Leave Management Symposium: Leave it to Us
When it comes to disability and leave management, the past year has been one HR hurricane after another. Everything is different, including our Annual Disability & Leave Management Symposium. We know you are as frustrated as we are. We wanted to have an old fashioned, in-person conference, but in the
No Mask, No Service: Supermarket Sued for Disability Discrimination Over Strict Face-Covering Policy
On May 26, 2020, a woman with an alleged respiratory disability filed suit under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) against a supermarket chain in Pennsylvania after she was denied entry because she could not wear a face mask. This lawsuit marks a growing trend of disability access lawsuits challenging
First Circuit Holds that Having an Employee Involuntarily Committed May Not Violate the ADA
All employers should care about their employees’ mental health – but when does this concern put an employer in territory that may violate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)? In López-López v. The Robinson School, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit held that an employer’s driving
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