LOS ANGELES – A wheelchair user alleges a Los Angeles bar denied him full and equal access because of barriers there.
Brian Whitaker filed a complaint on July 27 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against City Loft LLC and Artisanal Brewers Collective over alleged violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Unruh Civil Rights Act.
According to the complaint, in July, Whitaker went to defendants' Spring Street Bar and encountered difficulty because there were no accessible seating in the bar area for disabled individuals and the restrooms were not accessible.
As a result, Whitaker claims he was denied full and equal access to facility, which caused him difficulty, discomfort and embarrassment.
The plaintiff holds City Loft LLC and Artisanal Brewers Collective responsible because the defendants allegedly failed to ensure the accessible facilities were available and ready to be used by customers with disabilities.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks injunctive relief, actual damages and a statutory minimum of $4,000, attorney fees, litigation expenses and costs of suit. He is represented by Chris Carson and others of the Center for Disability Access in San Diego.
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California case number 2:18-cv-06474-GW-SK