Plaintiff
- Name: Erika Randolph
- Filing Date: August 7, 2026
- Court: United States District Court Northern District of Illinois
- State: Illinois
- Attorney Firm: Horowitz Law PLLC
Defendant
- Name: Lifetime Brands, Inc.
- Website: www.pfaltzgraff.com
- Industry: Retailing
- Standards Cited: WCAG 2.2
- Summary: Provides a wide array of home and kitchen products, including dinnerware sets, plates, bowls, drinkware, flatware, and serveware for online purchase.
Case Summary
According to the complaint, Erika Randolph, a visually-impaired individual, is suing Lifetime Brands, Inc. for failing to make their website, Pfaltzgraff.com, accessible to blind users, violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Randolph alleges that the website contains significant barriers that prevent blind individuals from independently navigating and completing purchases. The complaint cites various access issues, including ambiguous link texts and the requirement to use a mouse for transactions. Randolph seeks a permanent injunction to require the defendant to make the website accessible, along with compensatory damages for the discrimination faced by her and other blind users.
Causes of Action
- Violation of 42 U.S.C. §§ 12181 et seq. - Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act
- Declaratory Relief
- Negligent Infliction of Emotional Distress
Key Allegations
- Defendant's website is not accessible to blind and visually-impaired persons.
- Plaintiff encountered multiple accessibility barriers preventing her from completing a purchase.
- Defendant failed to implement necessary modifications to make the website accessible.
Requested Relief
- Preliminary and permanent injunction to prohibit Defendant from violating the ADA.
- Injunction requiring Defendant to make Pfaltzgraff.com compliant with the ADA.
- Declaration of discrimination against the blind on Pfaltzgraff.com.
- Class action certification and appointment of Plaintiff as Class Representative.
- Payment of nominal damages.
- Pre- and post-judgment interest.
- Award of costs and expenses of this action together with reasonable attorneys’ and expert fees.
- Punitive damages.
- Compensatory damages in an amount to be determined at trial.
Proposed Class
all legally blind individuals in the United States who have attempted to access Pfaltzgraff.com and as a result have been denied access to the enjoyment of goods and services offered by Pfaltzgraff.com, during the relevant statutory period.
Jurisdiction & Venue
This Court has subject-matter jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1331 and 42 U.S.C. § 12182; venue is proper under 28 U.S.C. §1391(b)(1) and (2).
