Opinion ID: 164972
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Standing to Seek Damages

Text: 43 Allen, Beltz, Garnett, and Goupil have standing to seek damages. They have established that they each suffered a past invasion of their statutory rights. Beltz and Goupil submitted affidavits stating that they were denied access to Wichita Transit's buses when they tested the system on March 23, 2001. Some evidence indicates that Garnett was among the testers who were denied rides on March 23, 2001. Allen averred that when she conducted her test ride on March 23, 2001, her travels were delayed because of a malfunctioning lift. Thus, Allen, Beltz, Garnett, and Goupil have each suffered an injury in fact. 44 Moreover, these appellants' actual injuries are traceable to Wichita Transit's allegedly wrongful failure to maintain its lifts in operable condition or allegedly wrongful denial of rides to disabled passengers. Further, it is likely, and not merely speculative, that compensatory or nominal damages can redress the injuries suffered by these appellants. Therefore, they have standing to seek damages.
45 Donnell has standing to seek damages. She averred that, while acting as a tester on March 23, 2001, she was not offered a designated seat by the bus driver, the bus driver failed to call out stops, and she found no Braille schedules, directories, or sufficient signage at the transit centers. This invasion of her statutory rights establishes an injury in fact. 46 Donnell's injury in fact meets the traceability prong of the standing inquiry. The record shows that on March 23, 2001, Wichita Transit did not keep Braille schedules and directories at the transit centers and only had Braille signage on the pillars. Thus, Donnell's failure to find Braille schedules and directories, and the scarcity of signage at the transit centers are traceable to Wichita Transit's allegedly unlawful conduct. 47 Likewise, the portion of Donnell's injury in fact which stems from the driver's conduct is causally connected to the action which she seeks to have adjudicated. Valley Forge Christian Coll. v. Ams. United for Separation of Church & State, Inc., 454 U.S. 464, 473, 102 S.Ct. 752, 70 L.Ed.2d 700 (1982). The relevant conduct which Donnell seeks to have adjudicated is Wichita Transit's failure to comply with 49 C.F.R. § 37.167, which interprets Title II of the ADA. The language of this section is mandatory, and states, in relevant part, that the entity shall announce stops and that the entity shall ask ... persons to move in order to allow the individual with a disability to occupy [a] seat. 49 C.F.R. § 37.167(b), (j)(1) (emphasis added). Thus, the conduct which Donnell seeks to have adjudicated is Wichita Transit's failure, as the entity in question, to comply with these provisions. Under these circumstances, Wichita Transit's policies of providing designated seats, calling out stops, and driver training, do not suffice to break the causal link between Donnell's injury in fact and the conduct which she seeks to have adjudicated. Because the conduct she seeks to have adjudicated is Wichita Transit's failure to comply with 49 C.F.R. § 37. 167(b) and (j)(1), Donnell's injury in fact does not merely result from the independent action of some third party not before the court. Defenders of Wildlife, 504 U.S. at 560, 112 S.Ct. 2130 (quotation omitted). Therefore, the portion of Donnell's injury in fact which stems from the driver's conduct satisfies the traceability prong of the standing inquiry. 48 Donnell's injuries are redressable. It is likely, and not merely speculative, that compensatory or nominal damages can redress Donnell's injury in fact. Donnell therefore has standing to seek damages.
49 Jeffries has standing to seek damages. Jeffries averred that on April 5, 2001 and several times thereafter, while acting as a tester, she could not obtain information about Wichita Transit's fixed-route buses by phone because Wichita Transit's TDD line was not working. This establishes an injury in fact because it shows that her statutory rights were invaded. 50 Moreover, Jeffries has shown that her injury is traceable to the action she seeks to have adjudicated. The action she seeks to have adjudicated is Wichita Transit's alleged failure to provide her with adequate information concerning its transportation services. Although Wichita Transit's TDD line was in existence in April 2001, Jeffries' affidavit suffices, at this stage of litigation, to show that she could not obtain any information from the TDD line. Jeffries' injury is therefore traceable to Wichita Transit's allegedly wrongful failure to provide her with adequate information concerning its transportation services. This injury is redressable by compensatory or nominal damages. Therefore, Jeffries has standing to sue for damages.