WILLITS, et al v. CITY OF LOS ANGELES - Notice of Proposed Settlement of Class Action Lawsuit

BASIC INFORMATION

Filed in 2010, this lawsuit alleges that the City of Los Angeles ("City") violated federal and state disability access laws by denying individuals with mobility disabilities access to sidewalks, intersections, crosswalks, streets, curbs, curb ramps, walkways, pedestrian rights of way, pedestrian undercrossings, pedestrian overcrossings, or other pedestrian pathways or walks ("Pedestrian Facilities") owned, controlled or maintained by the City in whole or in part. The City denies these allegations and disputes that it has any liability or committed any wrongdoing.

This is a class action. In a class action, one or more people or organizations, called Class Representatives (in this case Mark Willits, Judy Griffin, Brent Pilgreen, and Communities Actively Living Independent and Free ["Plaintiffs"]), sue on behalf of people who have similar legal claims. All of these people are a Class or Class Members. One court resolves the issues for all Class Members. United States District Judge Consuelo B. Marshall is in charge of this class action. The Court did not decide in favor of either Plaintiffs or the City in this case. Instead, both sides agreed to a settlement. That way, they avoid the cost, delay, and uncertainty of a trial, and settlement benefits go to the Class Members. The Class Representatives and Class Counsel (the attorneys appointed by the Court to represent the Class) think the proposed settlement is in the best interests of the Class Members taking into account the benefits of the settlement, the risks of continued litigation and the delay in obtaining relief for the Class if the litigation continues.