Karantsalis v. City of Miami Springs, No. 20-11134 (11th Cir. 2021)
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In 2008, following a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS), Karantsalis sued the city under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 by failing to make its facilities and infrastructure accessible to individuals with disabilities. He later voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit, believing that he lacked constitutional standing because his symptoms were mild and did not prevent him from accessing and using the city’s programs or services. By 2019, Karantsalis’s MS and his symptoms had progressed dramatically: he had started falling, developed a limp, and needed a disabled parking permit. His neurologist had prescribed a wheelchair.
He again sued the city under the ADA and Rehabilitation Act alleging the sidewalks, municipal gymnasium, and parking at public facilities were inaccessible. The district court dismissed the case with prejudice, holding that it was barred by the four-year statute of limitations, which was triggered before or during 2008 when Karantsalis became aware of his MS diagnosis. The Eleventh Circuit reversed. From the face of his complaint, Karantsalis’s injury did not occur until at least 2017. Karantsalis could not have sued before he lost his mobility and his ready access to and use of the city’s public services.