Cubs sued over renovations that limited Wrigley Field's wheelchair accessibility

A view of the right field bleachers during renovations in 2015. A Cubs fan is now suing the team after those renovations eliminated wheelchair-accessible sections. (AP)
A view of the right field bleachers during renovations in 2015. A Cubs fan is now suing the team after those renovations eliminated wheelchair-accessible sections. (AP)

A Chicago Cubs fan is suing the team in federal court over Wrigley Field renovations that eliminated sections of wheelchair-accessible seating completely and saw others moved to an area with an obstructed view.

According to CBS Chicago, the lawsuit was filed by 20-year-old David F. Cerda in December. Cerda has been confined to a wheelchair since age 10 after being diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. He’ll be represented in the case by his father, Chicago attorney David A. Cerda. Both were moved to file the lawsuit after being disappointed by their experience at the ballpark in 2017.

“You had very nice accessible seating in the right field bleachers,” David A. Cerda said of Wrigley Field’s previous set up before the right field bleachers were torn down and rebuilt two years ago without wheelchair accessible seating. That area was replaced with a bar area, which Cerda says shows the team’s focus was on making money and not taking care of fans.

“It was a willful decision they made for more profit —they make more money out of an area with a bar,” Cerda concluded.

The lawsuit specifically claims that the changes at Wrigley Field violate the Americans with Disabilities Act. It also notes that changes were made to the wheelchair seating area behind home plate. The seating area was moved further from the field, leaving the view of fans restricted to a wheelchair obstructed when other fans are standing. The suit asserts that the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design requires “that wheelchair spaces be an integral part of the seating plan at Wrigley Field.”

According to CBS Chicago, the lawsuit pushes for the Cubs to reconfigure the seating area in right and left field to include accessibility for wheelchairs, and to make wheelchair seating available in the lower box seats that “is equal or better than previous seating that was available.”

The Cubs have yet to comment on the lawsuit.

This is the second notable lawsuit against the Cubs in the past three months. In October, a fan sued the team about being struck in the face with a foul ball while attending a game at Wrigley Field in August. The foul ball left the fan with multiple facials injuries and left him blind in his left eye.

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Mark Townsend is a writer for Yahoo Sports Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!