SAN DIEGO — A disabled man is suing the owner of an El Cajon business property, alleging disability discrimination.
Chris Langer, who requires a wheelchair and a specially equipped van, filed a complaint Jan. 16 in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California against The Hinton Group, Inc., and Does 1-10, alleging violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Unruh Civil Rights Act.
According to the complaint, in October. 2017, Langer went to the defendant's Bedrock Boulders and Landscape Products in El Cajon to shop for rocks for his lawn. The suit says Langer encountered barriers that denied him access to East Chase Avenue premises as a disabled person. Langer says there were no parking spaces marked and reserved for persons with disabilities and the walkway surface leading to the entrance was not properly maintained.
As a result, Langer says he suffered difficulty, discomfort and embarrassment that deterred him from visiting the store.
The plaintiff alleges The Hinton Group failed to remove architectural barriers where such removal is readily achievable and failed to make alterations to make the facility readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities.
Langer seeks trial by jury, injunctive relief, actual damages and the statutory minimum of $4,000, attorney fees, litigation expenses and costs of suit. He is represented by attorney Isabel Masanque of Center for Disability Access in San Diego.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California case number 3:18-cv-00088-GPC-WVG