Living with disability can impact many areas of your life and make it more challenging. However, when a business discriminates against you due to a disability, it can make things even more difficult. Per the U.S. Department of Labor[1], some examples of disabilities include:
- Bipolar disorder
- Blindness
- Deafness
- Schizophrenia
No matter what type of disability you have, your employer and other businesses covered under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) must provide reasonable accommodations and avoid disability discrimination. These laws protect disabled individuals from discrimination in a variety of situations, such as:
- Housing
- Voting
- Public accommodations
- Employment
- Education
If you’re waiting for a disability discrimination lawsuit settlement, contact USClaims for pre-settlement funding. With money in your pocket now, you don’t have to take the first offer on the table and can take the time to negotiate a truly fair settlement. You can use pre-settlement funding to pay your living expenses and meet other financial commitments.
There are many types of disabilities. For example, with housing, one could experience disability discrimination in a multitude of ways, such as:
- Housing units with accessibility challenges[2]: John, a person with a disability who uses a wheelchair visits an apartment building with an intent to lease a unit. When he arrives, he finds there aren’t any accessible parking spaces in the parking lot. As he enters the available apartment unit, his wheelchair barely fits through the door, and he hits his arms on the way in. Inside the apartment, the light switches are too high, the bathrooms don’t have grab bars, and the thermostat is too high for him to reach. John files a complaint with HUD because the apartment complex fails to comply with accessibility requirements, which is a form of disability discrimination.
- Reasonable accommodation: Jane, an individual with a developmental disability that impacts her ability to manage her finances, shares with the building manager that her mother will be paying her rent. Because her mother would be paying, she requested the notices of rent go to her mother. The building manager denied her request to send notices to her, stating the policy was to send notices to residents only. Several months later, she received an eviction notice because her mother was never sent a notice that her rent had increased. This violation resulted in Jane filing with HUD because the landlord refused her request for reasonable accommodation.
What is Disability Discrimination?
Violations of disability discrimination laws can vary and many factors come into play. For example, a business that doesn’t provide other entrance options for those with certain physical disabilities. The type of business, the complications of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the lack of understanding by many as to what constitutes a reasonable accommodation can result in many victims of discrimination. Disability discrimination can occur in businesses of all sizes, from smaller organizations to franchises to multinational corporations.
The ADA[3] and the Rehabilitation Act provide comprehensive protections against discriminatory practices in “hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoff, training, fringe benefits, and any other term or condition of employment,” according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission[4].
The following are a few examples of disability discrimination cases selected by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)[5]:
- Accommodation in an interview process: During a pre-employment interview, a company failed to provide a sign language interpreter for a hearing-impaired individual, despite the individual’s request. The company denied the request because of the cost of the service. The individual sued, and the federal court found the company violated the law by not providing the accommodation requested.
- Epilepsy and drug testing: An individual applied for a job as a cook at an assisted living facility. A requirement of the screening process was to pass a drug test. The applicant failed the drug test due to their epilepsy medication and, as a result, was not hired. This discrimination resulted in the defendant paying $80,000 to the applicant, and their business now has to train their staff on disability law and make annual reports to the EEOC for 3 years.
- Hypertension and workplace duties: A hospice nurse who suffers from hypertension had to visit multiple nursing homes each day. The driving exacerbated their condition, resulting in their request for reassignment to a position that didn’t require extensive driving. The defendant denied the request, thus not providing reasonable accommodation due to their disability. As a result, the award to the plaintiff was $65,000, and the nursing home amended its accommodation policy and provided additional staff training.
Understanding Disability Discrimination Lawsuit Settlement Amounts
Many factors can impact the amount you get in a settlement when filing a disability discrimination lawsuit to protect your civil rights. How bad was the discrimination? What evidence do you have? How many reliable witnesses can you call? Does the company have a history of discriminatory practices? The size of the company is also likely to play a role in the eventual settlement amount.
Supporting Your Fight for Equality: USClaims’ Pre-settlement Funding for Disability Discrimination Cases
People with disabilities have a harder time getting and keeping jobs and housing due to their disabilities and discrimination, which is a violation of civil rights. Losing a job can leave you struggling to pay bills, particularly health insurance, which is critical for most people with disabilities. USClaims helps plaintiffs avoid low settlement offers by providing pre-settlement funds you can use to pay those bills.
When you come to us for a non-recourse cash advance on your settlement, there are never any hidden fees or application fees. Our FAQ details the process and provides more information about what you can expect. Our customers leave lots of five-star feedback, so you know you’re working with a reliable and trustworthy source for your pre-settlement funding.
Michael wrote, “They were quick, efficient, and thorough.” Erick notes, “USClaims has helped me and my family not just economically, but also our mind, body, soul, and spirit — we are blessed. Thank you from our whole family.”
When you’re ready to get started, call us at 1-877-USCLAIMS.
FAQs
What happens if you lose your disability discrimination lawsuit?
If you lose your disability discrimination lawsuit and received pre-settlement funding from us, you don’t need to pay us anything. We only get paid if you win.
Is pre-settlement funding for a disability discrimination lawsuit considered a loan?
No, pre-settlement funding from USClaims isn’t a loan. It’s a cash advance in exchange for the assignment to USClaims of a portion of your eventual settlement or judgment. If you don’t win, you don’t pay, which isn’t part of any loan agreement. Also, there’s no credit check when you apply for pre-settlement funding with us. We make our decisions based on the merits of your case.
Sources
- “Disability Discrimination in the DOL Workplace | U.S. Department of Labor.” Www.dol.gov, www.dol.gov/agencies/oasam/centers-offices/civil-rights-center/internal/policies/disability-discrimination.
- The United States Department of Justice. “The Fair Housing Act.” Justice.gov, 6 Aug. 2015, www.justice.gov/crt/fair-housing-act-1.
- ADA.gov. “ADA.gov Homepage.” Ada.gov, 2013, www.ada.gov/.
- EEOC. “Disability Discrimination and Employment Decisions.” US EEOC, www.eeoc.gov/disability-discrimination-and-employment-decisions.
- “Selected List of Pending and Resolved Cases under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.” Www.eeoc.gov, www.eeoc.gov/selected-list-pending-and-resolved-cases-under-americans-disabilities-act-ada.
