Plaintiff
- Name: Rusty Rendon
- Filing date: March 25, 2021
- State of filing: California
Defendant
- Name: Puritan Life Insurance Company
- Website: www.puritanlifeinsurance.com/
- Industry: Insurance
- Summary: Puritan is a life insurance company selling term and life policies, annuities, and medicare supplements.
Case Summary
On March 25, 2021, Rusty Rendon filed a Complaint in California State court against Puritan Life Insurance Company. Plaintiff Rusty Rendon alleges that www.puritanlifeinsurance.com/ is not accessible per the WCAG 2.0 accessibility standard(s).
Case Details
Plaintiff alleges issues in its Complaint including the following:
- Missing alternative text which presents a problem because an image
without alternative text results in an empty link. Alternative Text is invisible code embedded beneath
a graphical image on a website. Web accessibility requires that Alternative Text be coded with each
picture so that a screen reader can speak the Alternative Text where a sighted user sees pictures.
Alternative Text does not change the visual presentation, but instead generates a text box that will popup when the mouse moves over the picture. The lack of Alternative Text on these graphics prevents
screen readers from accurately vocalizing a description of the graphics; - Linked image missing
alternative text which presents a problem because an image without alternative text results in an empty
link. Images that are the only thing within a link must have descriptive alternative text. If an image is
within a link that contains no text and that image does not provide alternative text, a screen reader has
no content to present to the user regarding the function of the link; - Empty headings, which present
a problem because a heading contains no content. Keyboard and screen reader users often navigate by
heading elements. An empty heading will present no information and may introduce confusion; - Empty buttons, which present a problem because a button is empty or has no value text. When
navigating to a button, descriptive text must be presented to screen reader users to indicate the function
of the button; - Empty links that contain no text causing the function or purpose of the link to not be
presented to the user. This can introduce confusion for keyboard and screen reader users; - Broken ARIA menu, which presents a problem because an ARIA menu does not contain required menu items.
ARIA menus are application menus (like those used in software menu) with a specific keyboard interactions. They are NOT for navigation links on a web site and must contain at least one menu item, menu item checkbox, or menu itemradio element; and - Redundant Links where adjacent links go to
the same URL address which results in additional navigation and repetition for keyboard and screen
reader users.
Plaintiff asserts the following cause(s) of action in its Complaint:
Violations of the Unruh Civil Rights Act, California Civil Code § 51 et seq.
Plaintiff seeks the following relief by way of its Complaint:
- For a judgment that Defendant violated Plaintiff’s rights under the Unruh Civil Rights Act, California Civil Code § 51 et seq.
- For a preliminary and permanent injunction requiring Defendant to take the steps necessary to make the Website readily accessible to and usable by visually impaired individuals; but Plaintiff hereby expressly limits the injunctive relief to require that Defendant expend no more $20,000 as the cost of injunctive relief
- An award of statutory minimum damages of $4,000 per violation pursuant to section 52(a) of the California Civil Code; however, Plaintiff expressly limits the total amount of recovery, including statutory damages, attorneys’ fees and costs, and cost of injunctive relief not to exceed $74,999
- For attorneys’ fees and expenses pursuant to all applicable laws including, without limitation, California Civil Code § 52(a); however, Plaintiff expressly limits the total amount of recovery, including statutory damages, attorneys’ fees and costs, and cost of injunctive relief not to exceed $74,999
- For pre-judgment interest to the extent permitted by law
- For costs of suit
- For such other and further relief as the Court deems just and proper.