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Thursday, July 21, 2016

Persons with Disabilities Accessibility Settlement Agreement with Greyhound, submit claim by Nov. 10, 2016

If you were harmed by Greyhound's lack of accessible transportation or transportation-related services, or by a failure to make disability-related accommodations, between February 8, 2013 and February 8, 2016, you may be eligible to receive compensation from Greyhound.
As requested we have posted more detailed information on the claims process. To submit a claim form by mail, email or online to the claims administrator by no later than Nov. 10, 2016.
Below is information as posted by The Department of Justice.
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Press Release | April 6, 2016 
U.S. Department of Justice

Under the terms of a consent decree that resolves discrimination claims brought by the Justice Department, Greyhound Lines Inc. has hired a claims administrator to distribute compensation to people who experienced disability discrimination while traveling or attempting to travel on Greyhound. 
The consent decree resolves the department’s claims that Greyhound engaged in a nationwide pattern or practice of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to provide full and equal transportation services to passengers with disabilities.  The alleged violations include (but are not limited to) failing to maintain accessibility features on its bus fleet such as lifts and securement devices; failing to provide passengers with disabilities assistance boarding and exiting buses at rest stops; and failing to allow customers traveling in wheelchairs to complete their reservations online.
In this 1974 photo from the U.S. National Archives, train passengers bound for St. Louis, Missouri, board a chartered bus in Fort Worth, Texas. 
Greyhound, which serves more than 3,800 destinations and more than 18 million passengers each year across North America, will compensate an uncapped number of individuals.  To be eligible for compensation, an individual must:
  • have a disability;
  • have traveled or attempted to travel on Greyhound between Feb. 8, 2013, and Feb. 8, 2016;
  • have experienced a disability-related incident during his or her travel or attempt to travel (for example, lack of accessible transportation or transportation-related services, Greyhound’s failure to make disability-related accommodations, etc.); and
  • submit a claim form by mail, email or online to the claims administrator by no later than Nov. 10, 2016. Help is available from the claims administrator for those who are unable to complete the claim form due to a disability.
There is no requirement that the individual must have made prior contact either with Greyhound or the Department of Justice in order to submit a claim to the claims administrator.  Further, there is no cap on the number of individuals who may submit claims or on the total amount of compensation to be disbursed by Greyhound through this process.    
Questions about making claims should be directed to the claims administrator by any of the following methods:
         c/o Class Action Administration LLC
         PO Box 6878
         Broomfield, CO 80021
More information about the department’s lawsuit and settlement with Greyhound that established this claims process is available at www.ada.gov

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