ADA WEBSITE ACCESSIBILITY LAWSUITS DECEMBER 2024 REPORT

279

ADA website related lawsuits filed in December 2024

108

ADA website lawsuits filed against websites using Shopify

27.24

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

Bar graph showing state-wise ADA website lawsuits filed in December 2024. Further details are provided below

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

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

10 Law Firms Filed Over 82% of ADA Lawsuits in December 2024
Sr. No:Plaintiff Firm NameNumber of Cases in DecemberPercentageYear to Date
1Gottlieb & Associates5519.71%417
2Stein Saks, PLLC3913.98%413
3Roderick V. Hannah, Esq., P.A.3010.75%309
4Manning Law, APC248.60%240
5East End Trial Group LLC207.17%43
6Gabriel A. Levy, P.C.155.38%248
7Throndset Michenfelder Law Office, LLC145.02%111
8Asher Cohen PLLC134.66%50
9J. Courtney Cunningham, PLLC124.30%59
10Horowitz Law, PLLC93.23%72
10 Law Firms Filed 82.80% ADA Lawsuits in December-202423182.80%1,962
15 Law Firms Filed 17.20% ADA Lawsuits in December-20244817.20%1,157
25 Law Firms Collectively Filed 279 Lawsuits in December-2024279100%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

Industries Affected by Website Accessibility Lawsuits in December 2024
Sr. No:Industry CategoryNumber of Cases in DecemberPercentageYear to Date
1Restaurant, Food, Drinks & Beverages7326.16%732
2Lifestyle, Fashion, Clothing & Apparel7225.81%1,101
3Beauty, Skin & Body Care3813.62%242
4Medical & Health279.68%158
5Furniture, Lighting, Home Decor & Kitchen Accessories155.38%153
6Retail & Consumer Goods103.58%71
7Home, Kitchen Appliances & Accessories93.23%74
8Toys, Games, Gifts & Flower Shops93.23%56
9Equipment, Tools & Accessories51.79%32
10Entertainment, Musical Instruments & Accessories31.08%97
10 Industries Faced 93.55% of Lawsuits in December-202426193.55%2,716
10 Industries Faced 6.45% of Lawsuits in December-2024186.45%403
Total ADA Website Lawsuits by Industry in December-2024279100%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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Published in accordance with our Website Content Disclaimer

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