A man who depends on a wheelchair is suing the owners of a local shopping center for several alleged design flaws that keep him from enjoying his shopping visits.
Andrew Schlesinger filed a complaint July 10 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against Andrew Associates LLC.
Schlesinger, who requires a wheelchair for moving around, several times has visited the defendant's shopping center at 4115 Jefferson Highway, New Orleans.
"During these visits," the lawsuit states, "Schlesinger experienced serious difficulty accessing the goods and utilizing the services offered at the property due to the architectural barriers.."
Specifically, no accessible parking is located near Bud's Broiler; the ramps perpendicular to Gelpi Avenue and Jefferson Highway jut into traffic; and the handicapped parking spots next to and across from the Rite-Aid don't have a wide-enough access aisle.
The plaintiff asks the court to declare this a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act; to order the defendant to correct these alleged deficiencies; and award the plaintiff court costs and attorneys' fees.
The plaintiff is represented by Andrew D. Bizer and Garret S. DeReus of the Bizer Law Firm in New Orleans.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana case number 2:15-cv-02537-SSV-JCW.