LOS ANGELES – A quadriplegic alleges he is deterred from returning to a Torrance restaurant because of architectural barriers there that interfered with his access.
Orland Sylve filed a complaint on Sept. 11 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against James T. Georges, Arcelia Georges, Pit Stop Burgers Inc. and Does 1-10 alleging violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Unruh Civil Rights Act.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that in August, he went to defendants' restaurant in Torrance to eat but was subjected to difficulty, discomfort and embarrassment as a result of the negligence of the defendants to provide facilities that are ADA-compliant to invitees with disabilities. He alleges the restaurant allegedly did not have a proper transaction counter that is no more than 36 inches in height and had unprotected plumbing underneath the sink in the bathroom to protect against burning.
The plaintiff holds James T. Georges, Arcelia Georges, Pit Stop Burgers Inc. and Does 1-10 responsible because the defendants allegedly failed to ensure accessible facilities were available and ready to be used by the plaintiff.
The plaintiff seeks judgment against the defendants for injunctive relief, actual damages, attorney's fees, litigation expenses and costs of suit. He is represented by Chris Carson, Raymond Ballister Jr., Phyl Grace and Dennis Price of Center for Disability Access in San Diego.
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California case number 2:18-cv-07885