FedEx Drop Boxes Inaccessible to Wheelchair Users, Class Action Alleges

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FedEx Drop Boxes Class Action Lawsuit Overview: 

• Who: FedEx has been hit with a class action lawsuit alleging it violates the Americans With Disabilities Act
• Why: Wheelchair users say that the company makes its drop boxes inaccessible due to their height and force limits
• Where: The lawsuit, filed in California, is for wheelchair users nationwide

FedEx has been hit with a class action lawsuit brought on behalf of wheelchair users who say that the company violates the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) by making its drop boxes inaccessible due to their height and force limits.

The class action was filed in California on October 9 by lead plaintiff Janne Kouri who alleges that FedEx and its management violate the ADA and California civil rights laws. Kouri says that FedEx drop boxes that are often too high to reach and the lift doors are completely inaccessible to wheelchair users due to the force required to open them.

Kouri says in the claim that he has tried to use a number of the 34,000 unstaffed drop boxes FedEx operates, which allow customers to drop off packages in office buildings, shopping centers and corporate, and industrial parks, and has had issues each time.

Kouri was a competitive athlete before he suffered a spinal cord injury and became paralyzed, and he now runs a nonprofit rehabilitation center aimed at helping others with paralysis called NextStep Fitness.

He holds a FedEx business account and uses the drop box service as a regular part of his business, the class action lawsuit says, but he has frequently been “denied the opportunity to participate in the full and equal enjoyment of Defendants’ services, facilities, privileges, advantages and accommodations, as a result of Defendants’ inaccessible drop box network.”

Investigation Reveals FedEx Drop Boxes Inaccessible to Wheelchair Users

From site investigations at 102 drop boxes across seven states, all had accessibility barriers, including the excessive reach ranges and excessive maximum forces required to operate the drop boxes — similar to what Kouri encountered, the lawsuit alleges.

Kouri is seeking injunctive relief for FedEx to bring the drop boxes into full compliance with the ADA, saying that despite “difficulty, frustration, and unequal treatment,” he wants to continue to use the service due to its reliability, timeliness, and overnight delivery services. 

Kouri wants to represent people who use wheelchairs and have had difficulty accessing FedEx drop box service. He seeks certification of the Class, declaratory relief, injunctive relief, legal fees, interest, damages, and a jury trial.

The delivery company is facing legal action on other fronts, with consumers claiming that, despite paying for FedEx Express service, their packages were not delivered on time. 

Have you ever had difficulty accessing a FedEx drop box? Let us know your experience in the comments section below!

Kouri is represented by Jonathan D. Miller, Jordan T. Porter and Benjamin J. Sweet of Nye, Stirling, Hale & Miller, LLP and J. Luke Sanderson of Wampler, Carroll, Wilson & Sanderson, P.C.

The FedEx Drop Box ADA Class Action Lawsuit is Kouri v. FedEx Corporation, et al., Case No. 2:21-cv-08066 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

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• FedEx Workers Call on Court to Certify Class Action Lawsuit Alleging Workers Were Underpaid
• FedEx Office Class Action Settlement