Rios v. Swift Response, LLC

Summary

On February 4, 2021, Roy Rios filed a Complaint in California State court against Swift Response LLC. Plaintiff Roy Rios alleges that www.flexsealproducts.com is not accessible per the WCAG 2.0 accessibility standard(s).

About the defendant

Swift Response LLC is the brainchild of Phil Swift, manufacturing and selling a broad range of as-seen-on-tv products such as Flex Seal, Flex Tape, Flex Paste, Flex Glue, and many others.

What the complaint says

The problems the plaintiff describes with the website.

• Missing alternative text which presents a problem because an image without alternative text results in an empty link. Alternative Text is invisible code embedded beneatha graphical image on a website. Web accessibility requires that Alternative Text be coded with each picture so that a screen reader can speak the Alternative Text where a sighted user sees pictures. Alternative Text does not change the visual presentation, but instead generates a text box that will popup when the mouse moves over the picture. The lack of Alternative Text on these graphics prevents screen readers from accurately vocalizing a description of the graphics. As a result, at all relevant times, visually-impaired Flexseal customers were unable to determine what was on the website, browse the site, and determine whether or not to purchase Defendant’s products;
• Linked image missing alternative text which presents a problem because an image without alternative text results inan empty link. Images that are the only thing within a link must have descriptive alternative text. If an image is within a link that contains no text and that image does not provide alternative text, a screen reader has no content to present to the user regarding the function of the link;
• Empty buttons, which present a problem because a button is empty or has no value text. When navigating to a button,descriptive text must be presented to screen reader users to indicate the function of the button; and
• Redundant Links where adjacent links go to the same URL address which results in additional navigation and repetition for keyboard and screen reader users.

Legal claims

The laws the plaintiff says the defendant broke, called causes of action.

• Violations of the Unruh Civil Rights Act, California Civil Code § 51 et seq.

What the plaintiff asks for

What the plaintiff wants the court to order.

• For a judgment that Defendant violated Plaintiff’s rights under the Unruh Civil Rights Act, California Civil Code § 51 et seq.
• For a preliminary and permanent injunction requiring Defendant to take the steps necessary to make the Website, readily accessible to and usable by visually- impaired individuals; but Plaintiff hereby expressly limits the injunctive relief to require that Defendant expend no more $20,000 as the cost of injunctive relief
• An award of statutory minimum damages of $4,000 per violation pursuant to section 52(a) of the California Civil Code; however, Plaintiff expressly limits the total amount of recovery, including statutory damages, attorneys’ fees and costs, and cost of injunctive relief not to exceed $74,999
• For attorneys’ fees and expenses pursuant to all applicable laws including, without limitation, California Civil Code § 52(a); however, Plaintiff expressly limits the total amount of recovery, including statutory damages, attorneys’ fees and costs, and cost of injunctive relief not to exceed $74,999
• For pre-judgment interest to the extent permitted by law
• For costs of suit
• For such other and further relief as the Court deems just and proper