ADA WEBSITE ACCESSIBILITY LAWSUITS DECEMBER 2024 REPORT
ADA website related lawsuits filed in December 2024
ADA website lawsuits filed against websites using Shopify
Lawsuits filed against accessibility widget installed
Summary
- In December 2024, ADA website lawsuits continued to highlight the critical need for accessibility compliance across the United States, with a total of 279 cases filed. This demonstrates an ongoing commitment to ensuring inclusivity for individuals with disabilities.
- State-wise Breakdown: New York remained the leading state with 126 lawsuits, followed by Florida with 62, California with 26, and Pennsylvania with 24 cases. The remaining 41 cases were distributed across other states, reflecting the widespread nature of accessibility challenges nationwide.
- Platform-specific Lawsuits: Websites using Shopify were involved in 108 lawsuits in December 2024, demonstrating the platform’s continued vulnerability in ADA-related cases.
- Widget-related Lawsuits: A significant 27.24% of lawsuits (76 cases) targeted websites relying on accessibility widgets. This underscores the persistent shortcomings of these tools in meeting established accessibility standards.
- Legal Trends: The top 10 law firms were responsible for 82.80% of all lawsuits filed (231 cases), emphasizing the concentrated influence of a few legal entities in driving ADA compliance litigation.
- Industry Spotlight: The Restaurants, Food, Drinks & Beverages sector faced the highest number of lawsuits (73 cases), closely followed by the Lifestyle, Fashion, Clothing & Apparel industry with 72 cases. This trend highlights the focus on industries with high consumer engagement and online interaction.
Total Federal and State Court ADA Website Lawsuit for December 2024
Number of ADA website lawsuits filed in December: New York (126), California (26), Florida (62), Pennsylvania (24), and Other States (41).
20 Plaintiffs Filed Over 64% ADA Lawsuits in December 2024
| Sr. No: | Plaintiff Name | Plaintiff Firm Name | Number of Cases in December | Percentage | Jan to Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blair Douglass | East End Trial Group LLC | 20 | 7.17% | 43 |
| 2 | James Murphy | Gottlieb & Associates | 18 | 6.45% | 37 |
| 3 | Carlton Knowles | Gottlieb & Associates | 15 | 5.38% | 43 |
| 4 | Oscar Herrera | Roderick V. Hannah, Esq., P.A. | 14 | 5.02% | 74 |
| 5 | Victor Ariza | Roderick V. Hannah, Esq., P.A. | 13 | 4.66% | 113 |
| 6 | Julie Dalton | Throndset Michenfelder Law Office, LLC | 9 | 3.23% | 79 |
| 7 | James Watson | J. Courtney Cunningham, PLLC | 8 | 2.87% | 26 |
| 8 | Denise Crumwell | Gottlieb & Associates | 8 | 2.87% | 18 |
| 9 | Robert Glen Myers | ADA Legal Team, LLC | 7 | 2.51% | 33 |
| 10 | Perla Mageno | Manning Law, APC | 7 | 2.51% | 29 |
| 11 | Jacqueline Fernandez | Stein Saks, PLLC | 7 | 2.51% | 21 |
| 12 | Clay Lee Jones | Stein Saks, PLLC | 7 | 2.51% | 15 |
| 13 | Howard Wilson | Stein Saks, PLLC | 7 | 2.51% | 11 |
| 14 | Rebecca Castillo | Manning Law, APC | 6 | 2.15% | 55 |
| 15 | Pedro Liz | Gabriel A. Levy, P.C. | 6 | 2.15% | 42 |
| 16 | Felipe Fernandez | Stein Saks, PLLC | 6 | 2.15% | 31 |
| 17 | Lunique Agostini | Gabriel A. Levy, P.C. | 6 | 2.15% | 27 |
| 18 | Michael Sandoval | Manning Law, APC | 6 | 2.15% | 13 |
| 19 | Vincent Clement | Stein Saks, PLLC | 6 | 2.15% | 6 |
| 20 | Alejandro Espinoza | Mendez Law Offices, PLLC | 5 | 1.79% | 61 |
| 20 Plaintiffs Filed 64.87% ADA Lawsuits in December-2024 | 181 | 64.87% | 777 | ||
| 48 Plaintiffs Collectively Filed 35.13% ADA Lawsuits in December-2024 | 98 | 35.13% | 2,342 | ||
| 68 Plaintiffs Filed 279 Website ADA Lawsuits in December-2024 | 279 | 100% | 3,119 | ||
Key Summary Points:
- In December, the top 20 plaintiffs contributed 64.87% of all ADA website lawsuits, a noticeable increase from November’s 52.52%, highlighting a higher concentration of cases filed by frequent litigants.
- Blair Douglass from East End Trial Group LLC emerged as the top plaintiff in December with 20 lawsuits, representing 7.17% of the total cases for the month.
- Victor Ariza from Roderick V. Hannah, Esq., P.A. maintained his position as a leading filer throughout 2024, reaching a total of 113 lawsuits for the year.
- A total of 68 plaintiffs filed 279 ADA website lawsuits in December, with 20 plaintiffs filing 181 lawsuits (64.87%) and the remaining 48 plaintiffs filing 98 lawsuits (35.13%).
Top 5 Plaintiffs
Lawsuits: 80
Percentage: 28.67
Top 10 Plaintiffs
Lawsuits: 119
Percentage: 42.65%
Top 20 Plaintiffs
Lawsuits: 181
Percentage: 64.87%
Top 50 Plaintiffs
Lawsuits: 261
Percentage: 93.55%
10 Law Firms Filed Over 82% of ADA Lawsuits in December 2024
| Sr. No: | Plaintiff Firm Name | Number of Cases in December | Percentage | Year to Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gottlieb & Associates | 55 | 19.71% | 417 |
| 2 | Stein Saks, PLLC | 39 | 13.98% | 413 |
| 3 | Roderick V. Hannah, Esq., P.A. | 30 | 10.75% | 309 |
| 4 | Manning Law, APC | 24 | 8.60% | 240 |
| 5 | East End Trial Group LLC | 20 | 7.17% | 43 |
| 6 | Gabriel A. Levy, P.C. | 15 | 5.38% | 248 |
| 7 | Throndset Michenfelder Law Office, LLC | 14 | 5.02% | 111 |
| 8 | Asher Cohen PLLC | 13 | 4.66% | 50 |
| 9 | J. Courtney Cunningham, PLLC | 12 | 4.30% | 59 |
| 10 | Horowitz Law, PLLC | 9 | 3.23% | 72 |
| 10 Law Firms Filed 82.80% ADA Lawsuits in December-2024 | 231 | 82.80% | 1,962 | |
| 15 Law Firms Filed 17.20% ADA Lawsuits in December-2024 | 48 | 17.20% | 1,157 | |
| 25 Law Firms Collectively Filed 279 Lawsuits in December-2024 | 279 | 100% | 3,119 | |
Key Summary Points:
Dominant Law Firms
- The top 10 law firms accounted for 82.80% (231 lawsuits) of all ADA website lawsuits filed in December 2024, a significant increase from November’s 75.90%.
- The remaining 15 law firms collectively filed 17.20% (48 lawsuits) of the cases.
Top Contributors
- Gottlieb & Associates led the filings with 55 lawsuits, representing 19.71% of all lawsuits in December 2024.
- Stein Saks, PLLC followed with 39 lawsuits (13.98%).
- Roderick V. Hannah, Esq., P.A. ranked third with 30 lawsuits (10.75%).
Year-to-Date Totals
- Gottlieb & Associates recorded a total of 417 lawsuits, maintaining its leading position for the year.
- Stein Saks, PLLC closely followed with 413 lawsuits.
- Roderick V. Hannah, Esq., P.A. completed the top three with 309 lawsuits.
- A total of 25 law firms filed all 279 lawsuits in December, reinforcing the trend of concentrated litigation driven by a small group of firms.
Top 5 plaintiff Firms
Lawsuits: 168
Percentage: 60.22%
Top 10 plaintiff Firms
Lawsuits: 231
Percentage: 82.80%
Top 15 plaintiff Firms
Lawsuits: 262
Percentage: 93.91%
Industries Affected by Website Accessibility Lawsuits in December 2024
| Sr. No: | Industry Category | Number of Cases in December | Percentage | Year to Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurant, Food, Drinks & Beverages | 73 | 26.16% | 732 |
| 2 | Lifestyle, Fashion, Clothing & Apparel | 72 | 25.81% | 1,101 |
| 3 | Beauty, Skin & Body Care | 38 | 13.62% | 242 |
| 4 | Medical & Health | 27 | 9.68% | 158 |
| 5 | Furniture, Lighting, Home Decor & Kitchen Accessories | 15 | 5.38% | 153 |
| 6 | Retail & Consumer Goods | 10 | 3.58% | 71 |
| 7 | Home, Kitchen Appliances & Accessories | 9 | 3.23% | 74 |
| 8 | Toys, Games, Gifts & Flower Shops | 9 | 3.23% | 56 |
| 9 | Equipment, Tools & Accessories | 5 | 1.79% | 32 |
| 10 | Entertainment, Musical Instruments & Accessories | 3 | 1.08% | 97 |
| 10 Industries Faced 93.55% of Lawsuits in December-2024 | 261 | 93.55% | 2,716 | |
| 10 Industries Faced 6.45% of Lawsuits in December-2024 | 18 | 6.45% | 403 | |
| Total ADA Website Lawsuits by Industry in December-2024 | 279 | 100% | 3,119 | |
Key Summary Points:
- The Restaurant, Food, Drinks & Beverages sector led with 73 lawsuits (26.16%), followed by Lifestyle, Fashion, Clothing & Apparel with 72 lawsuits (25.81%).
- Beauty, Skin & Body Care and Medical & Health websites accounted for 38 (13.62%) and 27 lawsuits (9.68%), respectively.
- The top 10 industries represented 93.55% of lawsuits, while others contributed 6.45%.
- Year-to-date, Lifestyle, Fashion, Clothing & Apparel saw 1,101 lawsuits, leading all industries.
ADA Lawsuits Filed By Web Platforms in December 2024
Many business owners use website platforms to build and manage their online presence. While these platforms provide accessibility tools, ADA-related lawsuits often occur when accessibility requirements are not fully addressed during development.
Ensuring ADA compliance is ultimately the responsibility of website owners. Accessibility tools can support this effort, but their success depends on proper implementation and use by the owners.
Shopify
A user-friendly e-commerce platform designed to simplify the creation and management of online stores, offering intuitive tools for businesses of all sizes.
Lawsuits: 108
Percentage: 38.71%
WordPress
A versatile content management system that supports extensive customization and functionality with a wide range of plugins and themes.
Lawsuits: 42
Percentage: 15.05%
Salesforce Commerce Cloud
A robust cloud-based solution built to handle the complex needs of large-scale e-commerce businesses with efficiency and scalability.
Lawsuits: 15
Percentage: 5.38%
Magento
A highly adaptable, open-source e-commerce platform known for its advanced customization capabilities and flexible design options.
Lawsuits: 8
Percentage: 2.87%
Other Custom Coded Websites
Bespoke websites crafted to meet specific business needs with tailored designs, features, and functionality for unique user experiences.
Lawsuits: 106
Percentage: 37.99%
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