A new investigation by the Los Angeles Times reveals how a single plaintiff has filed more than 1,800 ADA lawsuits against small businesses across Southern California, part of a broader pattern driven by a small group of repeat filers. While the law is meant to protect accessibility and civil rights, these cases often target minor violations and pressure small businesses into quick settlements — illustrating how the legal system can be exploited by a few bad actors for financial gain rather than meaningful enforcement.
A 55-year-old internet marketer has filed at least 231 lawsuits in Los Angeles County in a single year, targeting hole-in-the-wall restaurants, liquor stores, laundromats, and convenience shops — often multiple businesses on the same block in a single afternoon. He is one of seven serial plaintiffs represented almost exclusively by Manning Law, an Orange County firm whose clients have collectively filed more than 9,000 lawsuits across Southern California over the last decade.
The targets are not corporate giants. They are family-owned small businesses operating on thin margins. Elia Barraza, owner of El Huarachito Casero in Pacoima, was served a lawsuit the day before her 53rd birthday over a cracked parking lot and difficult door hardware. The firm initially demanded $25,000 — several months of profit for her business, they eventually settled for $10,000. A laundromat owner took a second job as a handyman at neighboring businesses just to cover legal costs. “All the money’s going to lawyers,” he said. “It’s not fair.”
California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act, which enables payouts of $4,000 or more per ADA violation, was designed to protect people with disabilities from discrimination. But as also seen in other cases across the country, well-intentioned laws can be systematically exploited when there is no accountability for those who weaponize them for profit. The pattern seen here, a handful of professional plaintiffs, one law firm, thousands of cases, and cash settlements extracted from businesses too small to fight back, is textbook lawsuit abuse.
The firm at the center of this story has a history of exaggerating claims and filing fraudulent claims. The State Bar recently suspended Manning Law’s founder for allegedly submitting fraudulent billing statements. The Riverside County District Attorney also previously sued Manning and three other lawyers for filing “more than a hundred ADA suits with false information on behalf of a man who prosecutors said exaggerated the severity of his disability.”
Protecting consumers also means protecting the local shops and family-run enterprises that communities depend on.