So. Cal. Equal Access Group and ADA Lawsuits in Southern California

So. Cal. Equal Access Group is one of the highest-volume ADA filers in the country, and almost all of that volume sits in Southern California. This Los Angeles practice is built on physical access cases: parking lots, ramps, doors, counters, and restrooms at small shops, restaurants, auto-repair bays, and strip-center landlords. If you own or lease a storefront in Los Angeles County and an ADA complaint arrives from federal court, this is one of the names most likely to be on the caption.

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Who is So. Cal. Equal Access Group?

So. Cal. Equal Access Group's lead counsel is Jason J. Kim; other attorneys who appear on complaints include Jason Yoon, Kevin Hong, and Numeriano Inumerable. Complaints follow a tight template. A plaintiff who uses a wheelchair or has another mobility disability says they visited a business on a stated date—often months before filing—and could not use the property on equal terms. The defendants are usually the tenant and the property owner or trustee. Claims stack the ADA with California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act, the Disabled Persons Act, Health and Safety Code provisions, and sometimes negligence.

The barrier list usually includes:

• Accessible parking that slopes too steeply, lacks a van space, or is missing proper signage and the International Symbol of Access

• No compliant path from the sidewalk or stall to the door

• An entrance with a step and no ramp

• A sales or service counter that is too high

• A restroom that fails ADA and California Building Code clearances

The ADA claim seeks an injunction to fix the barriers. Unruh is the money count: a statutory minimum of $4,000 per violation, plus attorney’s fees. That is why these cases exist at industrial scale. Federal Title III alone does not pay statutory damages.

Venue is almost always the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, not Los Angeles Superior Court. Federal filing is faster for a high-volume shop and historically let plaintiffs attach Unruh damages to an ADA case. Many Central District judges now decline supplemental jurisdiction over the Unruh count, which strips the statutory cash from the federal case and forces that piece into state court—or into a settlement that prices both tracks at once.

Defendants are not limited to new construction. There has been a heavy run at older buildings that predate the 1990 ADA, and a wave against auto-repair shops over parking and path-of-travel issues. Mom-and-pop tenants often learn, too late, that the landlord was named as well.

What the Law Requires Versus What the Docket Does

Nothing in the ADA forbids a tester from visiting a store and suing over a real barrier. Parking slope, missing van stalls, and stepped entries are not invented defects. The controversy is volume and economics. A shop owner who never received a pre-suit letter can face a federal complaint, and the significant cost of a Certified Access Specialist (CASp) plus legal counsel.

Most of these cases settle, and experienced ADA defense lawyers are needed to obtain a favorable settlement. Some cases are dismissed after a fix. A few are fought on standing (in other words, whether the plaintiff actually encountered the barrier and intends to return).

What To Do If Your Receive a Lawsuit From So. Cal. Equal Access Group

Do not ignore service of a lawsuit filed by So. Cal. Equal Access Group. Federal response deadlines are short. Preserve photos and measurements of the parking lot, route, door, counter, and restroom as they existed on the alleged visit date. Notify your insurer and landlord immediately; tenders and indemnity clauses matter. Hire a CASp early. Contact experience ADA defense counsel. Documented, dated remediation is the strongest settlement fact and the only durable protection against the next tester.

Focus first on the items this firm actually pleads: van-accessible parking, slope and signage, a route without steps, an accessible entrance, a lowered transaction surface, and a usable restroom. Do not assume a federal Unruh count will stick. Many judges will dismiss it. That can help on damages, but it does not erase the ADA injunction or the fee claim if the plaintiff prevails on access. For owners who have not been sued, a CASp inspection of parking and entry is cheaper than the first complaint. So. Cal. Equal Access Group does not need a website theory to find you. A tape measure in the parking lot is enough. If you need further information, feel free to contact us to discuss your case.