NEW ORLEANS – A disabled Jefferson Parish man is suing West Jefferson Medical Center and Rite Aid, claiming the shopping center where the two stores are located has architectural features that restrict access to people with disabilities.
Lawrence Fultz filed a lawsuit Jan. 1 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against K&B Louisiana Corp., doing business as Rite Aid Pharmacy, and Jefferson Parish Hospital District No. 1, doing business as West Jefferson Medical Center, alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
According to the complaint, Fultz, a left-leg amputee, has had difficulty accessing the goods and services offered for sale at the defendants’ property on Westbank Expressway. For example, the suit says the men’s restroom is on the second level of the Rite Aid store, unreachable by a lift ramp or elevator. In addition, Fultz claims the parking lot lacks curb cuts (i.e., wheelchair ramps) onto its sidewalks, as well as other barriers for wheelchair access.
Fultz seeks an order for the defendants to bring their property into compliance with the ADA, plus litigation costs. He is represented by attorneys Andrew D. Bizer, Garret S. DeReus and Amanda K. Klevorn of The Bizer Law Firm in New Orleans.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana Case number 2:16-CV-00002