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San Diego businesses sued by disabled residents over scooters

A group of disabled city residents is demanding that an “obstacle course” is removed from city streets. In a federal lawsuit filed against San Diego businesses that provide shared ride scooters, the disabled residents say scooters left parked on sidewalks make their lives more difficult and infringe on their right to move about freely.

The plaintiffs include a man with no arms and one leg, an amputee, a blind person and a man with Parkinson’s disease.

A recent news report on the litigation stated that the plaintiffs seek class action certification for their lawsuit against the companies Razor, Bird and Lime. The city of San Diego is also named as a defendant.

The suit, filed by the plaintiffs along with disability advocacy organization Disability Rights California, says the carelessly scattered scooters prevent them from traveling safely and freely. The legal action states that the defendants violate the Americans with Disabilities Act, by failing to maintain clear public sidewalks, crosswalks, curb ramps and transit stops that are to be accessible to people with mobility and vision impairments.

Court documents filed by the plaintiffs state that “when dockless scooters are left in the middle of the sidewalk and other rights of way, at points of ingress and egress, they block off access to the public rights of way.”

A civil rights attorney said, “this taking of our public sidewalks and walkways for private profit is having a horrible impact on their safety.”

Individuals and businesses eager to protect their rights and interests should speak with an attorney experienced in business litigation.