Can a Class Action Lawsuit Repair Sidewalks in Atlanta?
Like so many cities in the United States, Atlanta has crumbling sidewalks. In fact, it has thousands of them. This creates a tremendous challenge for people with disabilities who need wheelchairs to navigate the city. Now a group of individuals with wheelchairs have filed a federal class action lawsuit against the City of Atlanta, accusing the growing metropolis off violating the Americans with Disabilities Act.
A class action lawsuit can be a useful way to get the attention of municipal governments, who frequently put such infrastructure improvements on the backburner. In this case, a class action lawsuit can serve to give voice to a smaller community whose needs and rights otherwise might be overlooked.
Municipalities should take note: in 2015 when Los Angeles settled a similar class action lawsuit, the cost to repair sidewalks was upwards of a billion dollars.
To learn more about this case, listen to the reporting by NPR here: https://www.npr.org/2018/08/14/638629421/legal-battle-over-crumbling-sidewalks-unfolds-in-atlanta
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