Hey everyone, I'm in a bit of a pickle. My e-commerce company just got slapped with a lawsuit in Florida claiming we aren't complying with ADA regulations. They're asking for $50,000 and have listed some specific issues that they found:
1. Misuse of fieldset elements for borders.
2. A video on a different page plays longer than 5 seconds without a pause option.
3. Alt text includes placeholders like "picture" or "spacer."
4. Some focusable child elements are hidden within an element.
The lawsuit feels a bit off since point 2 isn't even tied directly to our e-commerce operations; it's about franchising info. I have a gut feeling this is more about automated scans rather than real customer complaints. While we did craft the site with accessibility in mind, I know there might be some minor oversights with alt text due to content editors. Now I'm anxious about where to go from here. We're planning to consult a lawyer, but do I need to make fixes now or can they really hold us accountable for past issues? It's frustrating to think that small oversights can be grounds for a lawsuit. What should I do next?
1 Answer
Sounds like you're dealing with classic troll law firms here. They're often just looking for easy targets to scare into settling, especially when they spot any minor non-compliance. Most of the time, they don’t want to go to court because it’s a waste of their time and money. I've ignored similar legal threats over the years, and they just fizzled out without any further action. Don’t panic yet! Consult your lawyer, but keep in mind that the odds are they may not even follow through with an actual lawsuit.
Yeah, it’s tough being in this position. Our franchisee just got something similar, and it seems like they might actually go to court over it. They might just be trying to shake you down for a quick settlement.