While car dealerships & automotive may not be the single most-sued industry in California, CA sees 800+/year ADA web lawsuits annually. Plaintiff attorneys are expanding their targeting beyond traditional high-risk industries, and car dealerships & automotive websites in California are increasingly in the crosshairs.
Dealership ADA lawsuits per year
Multi-location settlements
Dealership sites failing WCAG
Under Unruh Civil Rights Act, car dealerships & automotive businesses in California face specific liability for website accessibility violations. California's Unruh Act provides $4,000 minimum statutory damages per violation per visit, making it extremely attractive for serial plaintiffs. State courts have jurisdiction over any website accessible to California residents. This means that a single accessibility complaint against your car dealerships & automotive website could result in statutory damages, attorney's fees, and mandatory remediation.
Dealerships serve the general public and have high-value transactions. Plaintiff attorneys target dealership websites because they typically have many accessibility issues and the businesses can afford settlements.
Audit your vehicle inventory pages to ensure every photo has year-make-model-specific alt text and that search filters work via keyboard navigation alone. Test financing calculators and trade-in tools for keyboard operability, adding text input alternatives to any slider controls. Provide keyboard-navigable alternatives for 360-degree vehicle viewers, such as multi-angle photo galleries with descriptive captions. If you operate multiple locations on a shared platform, fix the template once and verify the fixes propagate to all dealership pages to prevent serial litigation exposure.
Multiple California courts have applied the Unruh Act to website-only businesses, with damages exceeding $100,000 in serial plaintiff cases. Car Dealerships & Automotive businesses in California should treat ADA website compliance as an urgent priority given the state's enforcement environment and the industry's high target profile.
Yes. Under both the federal ADA and Unruh Civil Rights Act, car dealerships & automotive businesses in California that serve the public must ensure their websites are accessible to people with disabilities. This includes meeting WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards.
California sees 800+/year ADA web accessibility lawsuits per year across all industries. Car Dealerships & Automotive is increasingly targeted in CA. Lawsuits typically settle for $10,000-$75,000+.
The most common violations for car dealerships & automotive websites include vehicle inventory images without alt text, search/filter tools not keyboard accessible, financing calculators requiring mouse interaction. These issues are the primary targets for ADA plaintiff attorneys in California.
Under Unruh Civil Rights Act, car dealerships & automotive businesses can face statutory damages, compensatory damages, attorney's fees, and injunctive relief. Defense costs alone typically exceed $25,000, making proactive compliance far more cost-effective.
Free WCAG 2.1 AA scan. Get AI-generated code fixes before a CA lawsuit finds you.
Scan Your Site Free