Bacon v. Walgreen Co.

91 F. Supp. 3d 446, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 35184, 2015 WL 1261408
District Court, E.D. New York·Decided March 20, 2015·No. No. 14-CV-419 (JFB)(ARL)·Published·Cited by 17 cases

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

JOSEPH F. BIANCO, District Judge: •

Plaintiff Asa Bacon (“plaintiff’) brings this action against Walgreen Co. (“defendant”), asserting claims for declaratory and injunctive relief under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), 42 U.S.C. § 12181 et seq., in addition to claims under New York law. Specifically, plaintiff claims that he was injured at a Walgreens1 pharmacy because the security sensors at the store’s exit were not wide enough to permit his wheelchair to pass through.

Before the Court is defendant’s motion to dismiss in part, as well as plaintiffs motion for partial summary judgment. For the reasons set forth below, the motion to dismiss is granted, and the motion for summary judgment is denied. In sum, the Court concludes that plaintiffs claims under the ADA are moot, because Wal-greens has remedied the issue that allegedly interfered with plaintiffs access to the pharmacy. As a result, the Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction over plaintiffs federal claim. For the same reason, the Court denies plaintiffs motion for partial summary judgment.

I. Background

Plaintiff filed the complaint in this action on January 21, 2014. Plaintiff “lives in Hempstead in New York and is an individual with a disability known as paraplegia. As a result of his disability, the plaintiff cannot walk and uses a motorized wheelchair to assist his mobility.” (Compl. ¶ 1.) The complaint avers that on October 28, 2012, plaintiff patronized a Walgreens pharmacy located at 393 Front Street in Hempstead, New York. (Id. ¶¶ 1, 14.) As a security feature, the store contains two electronic sensors on either side of the exit door. (Id. ¶ 9.) As plaintiff attempted to pass through the exit, “the left footrest of his wheelchair came into contact with the sensor to his left causing it to bend the footrest and plaintiffs left foot and leg to the point where the left tibia was severely [449] fractured.” (Id. ¶ 14.) Plaintiff asserts that the incident occurred because the sensors are 32 to 33 inches apart, which is wide enough for ambulatory persons to pass-through, but which is too narrow to allow a wheelchair to pass through. (Id. ¶¶ 11-12.) Plaintiff contends that Wal-greens must space the sensors at least 36 inches apart in order to comply with the ADA. (Id. ¶¶ 10-13.)

On May 27, 2014 plaintiff filed a motion for partial summary judgment, seeking judgment on his claims for injunctive and declaratory relief under the ADA and the New York State Human Rights Law. On May 28, 2014, defendant cross-moved to dismiss plaintiffs claims for injunctive and declaratory relief for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(1). In support of that motion, defendant submitted an affidavit from Gary Normandin, the regional manager for Wal-greens, who attests that “[o]n April 29, 2014, the security sensors at the exit to the premises were permanently relocated by bolting them to the floor so that the distance between them is more than 36 inches.” (Affidavit, ECF No. 18-3.)

On June 27, 2014, defendant opposed the motion for summary judgment and plaintiff opposed the motion to dismiss. Both parties have filed reply memoranda. Plaintiffs memorandum in opposition raised, for the first time, a challenge to the width of the metal poles framing the exit door to the pharmacy.2 To address this issue, the Court requested that the- parties submit additional materials. The parties filed letters regarding the width of the poles, and on March 17, 2015, plaintiff filed a letter informing the Court that he conceded that the present placement of the poles and the security sensors complies with the ADA. (PI. Letter, ECF No. 24.)

This matter is fully submitted, and the Court has fully considered the parties’ submissions.

II. STANDARDS OF REVIEW

Before the Court are defendant’s motion to dismiss, pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1), and plaintiffs motion for summary judgment, pursuant to Rule 56. The following standards of review are applicable to the respective motions.

A. Subject Matter Jurisdiction

To defeat a motion to dismiss brought under Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(1), “[t]he plaintiff bears the burden of proving subject matter jurisdiction by a preponderance of the- evidence.” Aurecchione v. Schoolman Transp. Sys., Inc., 426 F.3d 635, 638 (2d Cir.2005). In resolving this issue, the court “must accept as true all material factual allegations in the complaint, but [it is] not to draw inferences from the complaint favorable to plaintiffs.” J.S. ex rel. N.S. v. Attica Cent. Schs., 386 F.3d 107, 110 (2d Cir.2004). Additionally, the court “may refer to evidence outside the pleadings” to resolve the jurisdictional issue. Makarova v. United States, 201 F.3d 110, 113 (2d Cir.2000) (citing Kamen v. Am. Tel. & Tel. Co., 791 F.2d 1006, 1011 (2d Cir.1986)).

B. Summary Judgment

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Bacon v. Walgreen Co., 91 F. Supp. 3d 446, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 35184, 2015 WL 1261408 (E.D.N.Y. 2015).

91 F. Supp. 3d 446 (Bacon v. Walgreen Co.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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