Partner Eve Hill was quoted as a legal authority by the Wall Street Journal in a recent story about a New York City law firm who is suing numerous businesses with disability rights lawsuits challenging the inaccessibility of their websites.
“There are clearly enough inaccessible websites in the world to keep a lawyer very busy,” said Eve, as quoted by the Wall Street Journal. It would be much simpler if internet web designers included accessibility as a standard feature, she said.
The Wall Street Journal reported that some law firms file accessibility lawsuits on behalf of a single plaintiff against dozens of various types of businesses. Many businesses feel that these “cut-and-paste pleadings” are designed to collect quick settlements, instead of actually making the websites more accessible. Oftentimes, the demands are priced at less than it would cost to respond to the complaint, the Wall Street Journal reported.
“My biggest problem with the cut-and-paste lawsuits is when they settle them for cash and don’t fix the problem,” Eve said.
At Brown, Goldstein, & Levy, our priority is to break down barriers and fight in court for the rights of people with disabilities. For decades, our attorneys have worked to ensure that programs and services offered by private companies and government alike are fully accessible to individuals with disabilities—as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act and other federal and state laws. We take immense pride in our high-profile, high-impact disability rights cases, which our experienced attorneys litigate in trial and appellate courts across the country. We also take immense pride in our representation of people with disabilities and their families. Our fight for disability rights has many components and includes, but is not limited to, access to technology, voting rights, access to standardized testing, access to housing and public accommodations, and access to education, government, and employment. Learn more about BGL’s decades of experience advocating for people with disabilities here.
Eve Hill is one of the nation’s leading civil rights lawyers, known especially for her work with clients with disabilities and LGBTQ+ clients. She has been recognized by Law360 as one of just 12 “Titans of the Plaintiffs’ Bar” for 2023, as well as by Lawdragon as one of the 500 Leading Lawyers in America (2022 and 2023). Her wide-ranging experience complements Brown, Goldstein & Levy’s decades of dedication to high-impact disability rights cases and its advocacy on behalf of individuals with disabilities and their families. Eve also leads Inclusivity, BGL’s Strategic Consulting Group, which works with organizations to promote the education, engagement, and employment of people with disabilities.
Learn more about Eve Hill here.
Read the full story from the Wall Street Journal here.
Founded in 1982, Brown, Goldstein & Levy is a law firm based in Baltimore, Maryland, with an office in Washington, D.C. The firm is nationally recognized in a wide variety of practice areas, including complex civil and commercial litigation, civil rights, health care, family law, and criminal defense. Above all else, Brown, Goldstein & Levy is a client-centered law firm that brings decades of experience and passionate, effective advocacy to your fight for justice.