Law You Can Use
An estimate of 50 million individuals in the U.S. have a
disability and over one-third of them rely on an assistive
device. According to 1994 National Health Interview Data,
approximately 43 percent of Americans interviewed use Assistive
Technology devices (ATD’s) to accommodate mobility
impairments; 27 percent of Americans interviewed use ATD’s
to accommodate orthopedic impairments, 26 percent use ATD’s
to accommodate hearing impairments; and 4 percent use ATD’s
to accommodate vision impairments. Individuals increasingly
rely on these devices for school, employment, and everyday
activities.
In
the mid to late 1990's states began to recognize the large
community of individuals using ATD’s and the importance
of these devices. Individuals demanded consumer protection
rights covering their devices, and forty-one states have
responded with passed or proposed “lemon laws”.
The protection of these laws is quite diverse and spans
from Louisiana law, which covers virtually any assistive
device, to Maryland law, covering wheelchairs only. The laws
provide various types of compensation for defective devices,
including replacement equipment, loaner equipment, free service,
extended warranties, and full refunds.
This website is intended as a resource for disabled individuals
and their families needing information on their rights as
consumers. At Burdge Law Office, we represent Ohio consumers
in cases against dealers and manufacturers of defective assistive
devices. This web site also provides summaries and general
information on laws in other states.
