A Guide Dog Owner has won a groundbreaking court case against a taxi driver and their taxi company.
You will have heard many tales of Guide Dog owners being refused service and the case then ending up in court or being settled out of court. The particulars of the case that was won here, which set it apart from the rest, is that two Guide Dog owners were involved and three Guide Dogs, two working and one retired. Additionally, the taxi company involved was found guilty under section 109 of the Equality Act 2010.
As far as Disability Watford is aware, this is the first such case where there was more than one Guide Dog involved and the taxi company was also found guilty under Section 109 of the Equality Act, which states that a service provider is liable for the actions of their agents (taxi drivers), whether those actions are known or not.
However the Chairman of Disability Watford, Leigh Hutchings, who was the Guide Dog Owner who took this case to court, had to be tenacious, with the entire process taking four years to be completed.
Further details of the case will be published on this website in due course.