ATM Accessibility Class Actions Make Their Way To Middle Tennessee

On August 5, 2013, seven class action lawsuits were simultaneously filed against separate banks and credit unions in Middle Tennessee, alleging that the defendants' ATMs failed to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  The lawsuits were all filed by the same law firm, Gilbert Russell McWherter PLC, and the cases involve only two named plaintiffs, both blind individuals who claim that they were denied services by the defendants as a result of ATMs that are not accessible to the visually impaired. Specifically, the plaintiffs allege, in part, that the ATMs did not have braille instructions and lacked audio capability. These suits seek injunctive relief, as well as attorneys' fees and costs, for the violations.