ADA Website Accessibility Lawsuits September 2026 Report

ADA Website Accessibility Lawsuits Report September 2026

  • Lawsuits
    Total filings200Down 28.32% from 279 filings in August 2026.
  • Platforms
    Shopify share44.50%89 lawsuits, the most targeted platform.
  • Widgets
    Widget related17.00%34 of 200 lawsuits involved accessibility widgets.

Key Summary Points

  • ADA Lawsuits Overview

    Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) website accessibility lawsuits fell 28.32% in September 2026, with 200 filings, down from 279 in August. Businesses still faced an average of nearly 7 new lawsuits per day.

  • State-wise Breakdown

    New York overtook California to lead all states, followed by Florida, California, Minnesota, and Illinois. Together, these five states accounted for 197 of the 200 lawsuits (98.50%) filed in September 2026.

  • Plaintiffs and Law Firms

    Just 11 plaintiffs filed over 50% of all ADA website lawsuits in September 2026, and only 11 law firms filed over 86% of all filings, showing that litigation stayed concentrated among a small group of repeat filers.

  • Industry Spotlight

    Only 6 industries accounted for more than 90% of all ADA website lawsuits in September 2026. Restaurant, Food, Drinks & Beverages was the most targeted sector, overtaking Lifestyle, Fashion, Clothing & Apparel and reflecting a shift in the industries most affected by ADA litigation.

  • Platform-specific Lawsuits

    Shopify continued to be the most targeted platform in September 2026, accounting for 44.50% of all ADA website lawsuits reported during the month. This highlights that Shopify-based websites remained a significant focus of ADA litigation compared with other e-commerce platforms.

  • Widget-related Lawsuits

    17.00% of ADA website lawsuits in September 2026 involved accessibility widgets, with 34 out of 200 total lawsuits filed against websites using accessibility widgets. This marks a decline from August 2026, when widget-related lawsuits accounted for 27.60% of total filings.

Total Federal and State Court ADA Website Lawsuits for September 2026

State-wise Breakdown of 200 ADA Website Lawsuits

State Wise – Total ADA Lawsuits Filed in September 2026

Bar chart. New York: 77 lawsuits, 38.50%. Florida: 53 lawsuits, 26.50%. California: 41 lawsuits, 20.50%. Minnesota: 14 lawsuits, 7.00%. Illinois: 12 lawsuits, 6.00%. All other states: 3 lawsuits, 1.50%.

Key Summary Points

  • New York led ADA website litigation in September 2026 with 77 lawsuits (38.50%), taking the top spot from California, which led in August.
  • Florida ranked second with 53 lawsuits (26.50%), followed by California with 41 lawsuits (20.50%). Together, these three states accounted for 171 lawsuits (85.50%) of all September 2026 filings.
  • California's filings nearly halved, falling from 78 lawsuits in August to 41 in September, the largest month-over-month drop of any state.
  • Minnesota recorded 14 lawsuits (7.00%), while Illinois accounted for 12 lawsuits (6.00%), showing continued but smaller filing activity compared to the leading states.
  • All other states combined accounted for just 3 lawsuits (1.50%), down from 13 in August, indicating that ADA website litigation became even more concentrated among a handful of jurisdictions.

11 Plaintiffs Filed Over 50% of ADA Lawsuits in September 2026

Top 11 plaintiffs by ADA website lawsuits filed, September 2026
Sr. NoPlaintiff NameFirm NameSepPercentageJan - Aug
1Willie MaconADA Legal Team, LLC2110.50%25
2Julie DaltonThrondset Michenfelder, LLC147.00%128
3Judith Adela LopezGottlieb & Associates115.50%7
4Marcos CalcanoGottlieb & Associates105.00%3
5Michael SandovalManning Law, APC84.00%228
6Perla MagenoManning Law, APC84.00%94
7Cedric BishopGottlieb & Associates73.50%20
8Jesus TorresManning Law, APC63.00%74
9Washington Benavides MoranGottlieb & Associates63.00%20
10Nestor A ProveyerAdams & Associates, P.A.52.50%57
11Norma O. GazonniBrasil & Brasil, P.A52.50%43
11 Plaintiffs Filed 50.50% ADA Lawsuits in September 202610150.50%699
50 Plaintiffs Collectively Filed 49.50% ADA Lawsuits in September 20269949.50%2,087
61 Plaintiffs Filed 200 Website ADA Lawsuits in September 2026200100.00%2,786

Plaintiff concentration, September 2026

  • Top 5 Plaintiffs 32.00%64 lawsuits
  • Top 10 Plaintiffs 48.00%96 lawsuits
  • Top 20 Plaintiffs 68.50%137 lawsuits
  • Top 50 Plaintiffs 95.00%190 lawsuits

Key Summary Points

  • Out of 61 total plaintiffs, the top 20 plaintiffs accounted for 68.50% of all ADA website lawsuits filed in September 2026, collectively filing 137 of the 200 total lawsuits. The remaining 41 plaintiffs filed 63 lawsuits (31.50%), showing that a relatively small group of plaintiffs continued to drive most of the month’s ADA website litigation.
  • Willie Macon was the leading plaintiff in September 2026, filing 21 lawsuits (10.50%). Julie Dalton ranked second with 14 lawsuits (7.00%), followed by Judith Adela Lopez with 11 lawsuits (5.50%). Together, these three plaintiffs accounted for 46 lawsuits (23.00%) of all ADA website lawsuits filed during the month.
  • Marcos Calcano ranked fourth with 10 lawsuits (5.00%), while Michael Sandoval and Perla Mageno each filed 8 lawsuits (4.00%). Cedric Bishop filed 7 lawsuits (3.50%), while Jesus Torres and Washington Benavides Moran each contributed 6 lawsuits (3.00%).
  • Gottlieb & Associates had the strongest representation among the plaintiffs shown in the table, representing Judith Adela Lopez, Marcos Calcano, Cedric Bishop, and Washington Benavides Moran, who collectively filed 34 lawsuits (17.00%).
  • Manning Law, APC represented Michael Sandoval, Perla Mageno, and Jesus Torres, who together filed 22 lawsuits (11.00%). ADA Legal Team, LLC, represented by Willie Macon among the plaintiffs shown, accounted for 21 lawsuits (10.50%), while Throndset Michenfelder, LLC, represented by Julie Dalton, accounted for 14 lawsuits (7.00%).

11 Law Firms Filed Over 86% of ADA Lawsuits in September 2026

Top 11 plaintiff law firms, September 2026
Sr. NoPlaintiff Firm NameSepPercentageJan - Aug
1Gottlieb & Associates4522.50%262
2Manning Law, APC2914.50%531
3ADA Legal Team, LLC2613.00%32
4Throndset Michenfelder, LLC147.00%144
5Joseph & Norinsberg, LLC126.00%103
6Mizrahi Kroub LLP115.50%69
7Adams & Associates, P.A.94.50%71
8AJG Law Group, PC84.00%65
9Horowitz Law, PLLC73.50%52
10NYE Stirling, Hale & Miller, LLP63.00%87
11Roderick V. Hannah, Esq., P.A.52.50%105
11 Law Firms Filed 86.00% ADA Lawsuits in September 202617286.00%1,521
11 Law Firms Filed 14.00% ADA Lawsuits in September 20262814.00%1,265
22 Law Firms Collectively Filed 200 Lawsuits in September 2026200100%2,786

Law firm concentration, September 2026

  • Top 5 Plaintiff Firms 63.00%126 lawsuits
  • Top 10 Plaintiff Firms 83.50%167 lawsuits
  • Top 15 Plaintiff Firms 94.50%189 lawsuits

Key Summary Points

  • Out of 22 law firms, the top 11 firms filed 172 of the 200 ADA website lawsuits (86.00%) in September 2026, while the remaining 11 firms accounted for 28 lawsuits (14.00%), showing that ADA website litigation remained concentrated among a small group of law firms.
  • Gottlieb & Associates was the leading plaintiff firm in September 2026, filing 45 lawsuits (22.50%). Manning Law, APC ranked second with 29 lawsuits (14.50%), followed by ADA Legal Team, LLC with 26 lawsuits (13.00%).
  • Throndset Michenfelder, LLC and Joseph & Norinsberg, LLC completed the top five firms, filing 14 lawsuits (7.00%) and 12 lawsuits (6.00%), respectively. Together, the top five firms accounted for 126 lawsuits (63.00%) of all September filings.
  • Mizrahi Kroub LLP filed 11 lawsuits (5.50%), followed by Adams & Associates, P.A., with 9 lawsuits (4.50%), and AJG Law Group, PC, with 8 lawsuits (4.00%). Horowitz Law, PLLC filed 7 lawsuits (3.50%), while NYE Stirling, Hale & Miller, LLP, and Roderick V. Hannah, Esq., P.A., filed 6 (3.00%) and 5 (2.50%) lawsuits, respectively.
  • The top 10 plaintiff firms filed 167 lawsuits (83.50%), while the top 15 firms accounted for 189 lawsuits (94.50%). This further highlights the significant concentration of September 2026 ADA website litigation among a relatively small number of law firms.

6 Industries Faced Over 90% of Lawsuits in September 2026

Share of September 2026 filings by industry
  • Restaurant, Food, Drinks & Beverages 59 lawsuits 29.50%
  • Lifestyle, Fashion, Clothing & Apparel 53 lawsuits 26.50%
  • Health, Beauty & Wellness 35 lawsuits 17.50%
  • Home, Furniture & Garden 19 lawsuits 9.50%
  • Retail & Consumer Goods 8 lawsuits 4.00%
  • Automotive, Tools & Equipment 7 lawsuits 3.50%
  • ADA Lawsuits Overview

    Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) website accessibility lawsuits fell 28.32% in September 2026, with 200 filings, down from 279 in August. Businesses still faced an average of nearly 7 new lawsuits per day.

  • State-wise Breakdown

    New York overtook California to lead all states, followed by Florida, California, Minnesota, and Illinois. Together, these five states accounted for 197 of the 200 lawsuits (98.50%) filed in September 2026.

  • Plaintiffs and Law Firms

    Just 11 plaintiffs filed over 50% of all ADA website lawsuits in September 2026, and only 11 law firms filed over 86% of all filings, showing that litigation stayed concentrated among a small group of repeat filers.

  • Industry Spotlight

    Only 6 industries accounted for more than 90% of all ADA website lawsuits in September 2026. Restaurant, Food, Drinks & Beverages was the most targeted sector, overtaking Lifestyle, Fashion, Clothing & Apparel and reflecting a shift in the industries most affected by ADA litigation.

  • Platform-specific Lawsuits

    Shopify continued to be the most targeted platform in September 2026, accounting for 44.50% of all ADA website lawsuits reported during the month. This highlights that Shopify-based websites remained a significant focus of ADA litigation compared with other e-commerce platforms.

  • Widget-related Lawsuits

    17.00% of ADA website lawsuits in September 2026 involved accessibility widgets, with 34 out of 200 total lawsuits filed against websites using accessibility widgets. This marks a decline from August 2026, when widget-related lawsuits accounted for 27.60% of total filings.

CIPA Website Lawsuits in September 2026

Accessibility is not the only legal risk hiding in a website's code. The tracking pixels, chat tools, and analytics scripts that power modern online stores have also become the basis for lawsuits under the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA). The stakes are high: the statute sets damages at $5,000 per violation, and plaintiffs contend that each site visitor can count as a separate violation.

We tracked 31 CIPA website lawsuits filed in California in September 2026, down 39.22% from 51 in August. For scale, California produced 41 ADA website lawsuits in the same month, so CIPA filings ran at roughly three-quarters of the state's accessibility volume. Of the 31 cases, 19 were filed in California Superior Court and 12 in federal court.

Unlike ADA litigation, CIPA filings were spread across a broad group of plaintiffs. 30 different plaintiffs filed the month's 31 lawsuits, and only Carlos Guzman filed more than one, with 2 lawsuits (6.45%), both through Brodsky Smith.

Shopify stores were the most common target, accounting for 14 of the 31 lawsuits (45.16%), nearly the same share Shopify held in September's ADA filings.

California · September 2026 CIPA vs ADA filings
ADA website lawsuits (California)41
CIPA website lawsuits31

Where the 31 cases were filed

  • 19 California Superior Court
  • 12 Federal court
−39.22%Change from August 51 in August to 31 in September

6 Law Firms Handled Over 90% of CIPA Lawsuits in September 2026

CIPA lawsuits were far more concentrated among law firms than among plaintiffs. Brodsky Smith handled the largest share of CIPA filings in September, followed by Pacific Trial Attorneys.

Share of 31 CIPA lawsuits by law firm
  • Brodsky Smith11 lawsuits35.48%
  • Pacific Trial Attorneys6 lawsuits19.35%
  • Swigart Law Group, APC4 lawsuits12.90%
  • Gutride Safier LLP3 lawsuits9.68%
  • Tauler Smith LLP2 lawsuits6.45%
  • Bursor & Fisher, P.A.2 lawsuits6.45%
  • Other Law Firms3 lawsuits9.68%

Key Summary Points

  • Brodsky Smith was the leading law firm, handling 11 lawsuits (35.48%), nearly double its August count of 6 and the largest share of CIPA filings identified in September.
  • Pacific Trial Attorneys ranked second with 6 lawsuits (19.35%), down from 13 in August, followed by Swigart Law Group, APC with 4 lawsuits (12.90%). Together, these three firms handled 21 of the 31 CIPA lawsuits (67.74%).
  • Gutride Safier LLP handled 3 lawsuits (9.68%), while Tauler Smith LLP and Bursor & Fisher, P.A. handled 2 each (6.45%). Nathan & Associates, Lynch Carpenter, LLP, and McGuire Law, P.C. filed one lawsuit each.
  • Overall, the top six law firms accounted for 28 of 31 lawsuits (90.32%), demonstrating a high level of law-firm concentration in September 2026 CIPA litigation.
  • These filings came in the same month California enacted SB 690, which will end private pen register and trap-and-trace claims over website activity starting January 1, 2027. See the final section of this report for what the new law does and does not change.

ADA Lawsuits Filed Against Website Platforms in September 2026

Website platforms play an important role in helping businesses build and manage their online presence. Platforms may provide built-in accessibility features and support third-party tools, but ADA website lawsuits can still arise when accessibility is not addressed across the full user experience.

Website owners remain responsible for keeping their websites accessible. Accessibility tools can support remediation, but they are not a complete solution. Staying accessible takes proper implementation, regular testing, ongoing remediation, and continuous monitoring.

  • Shopify

    89lawsuits · 44.50%

    A widely used commerce platform that helps businesses launch, manage, and grow online stores, with flexible storefronts and tools for products, orders, and payments.

  • WordPress

    25lawsuits · 12.50%

    A flexible content management system that powers many websites, offering themes, plugins, and integrations to help businesses build sites around their needs.

  • Squarespace

    6lawsuits · 3.00%

    A browser-based website builder that helps businesses create and manage websites without coding, using a visual editor with built-in hosting and design tools.

  • Wix

    6lawsuits · 3.00%

    A cloud-based commerce platform that helps businesses build, manage, optimize, and scale their online operations.

  • Salesforce Commerce Cloud

    6lawsuits · 3.00%

    A cloud-based e-commerce platform that helps businesses scale online stores with flexible customization, integrated tools, and personalized shopping experiences.

  • Other Custom Coded Websites

    68lawsuits · 34.00%

    Bespoke websites built with tailored code and functionality to meet specific business goals rather than relying on standard platforms.

Platform Summary: 200 ADA website lawsuits, September 2026

California Signs SB 690 Into Law: Real Relief from CIPA Lawsuits, but Not the Finish Line

There is welcome news for the thousands of businesses that have faced costly CIPA lawsuits, often with no claim that anyone was actually harmed. On September 30, 2026, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 690 into law, sharply limiting the CIPA claims private plaintiffs can bring over tracking technologies on websites and apps.

  1. Two years before the law takes effectRetroactivity window opensPending claims filed within this window are covered.
  2. September 30, 2026Governor Newsom signs SB 690Passed both houses without a single recorded no vote.
  3. January 1, 2027SB 690 takes effectOnly the California Attorney General can bring online pen register claims.

What SB 690 Does

  • Ends private pen register claims online: Only the California Attorney General can now bring claims under CIPA's pen register and trap-and-trace provisions when the conduct happens on a website, online application, or mobile app.
  • Takes effect January 1, 2027: The bill passed both houses of the Legislature without a single recorded no vote.
  • Covers current lawsuits too: A two-year retroactivity provision applies the law to pending claims filed within two years before it takes effect, giving businesses currently being sued a strong new basis to challenge those claims.

This is meaningful relief. Pen register claims have driven the recent wave of CIPA website litigation, with California's Assembly Appropriations Committee estimating roughly 4,000 pending CIPA actions, most of them based on website tracking software.

Why the Risk Isn't Over

SB 690 is a targeted fix, not a repeal of CIPA.

  • Wiretapping and eavesdropping claims remain: CIPA Section 631 (wiretapping) and Section 632 (eavesdropping) are untouched and still carry private litigation risk.
  • Plaintiffs can pivot: Plaintiffs can return to wiretapping theories targeting chat widgets, pixels, and third-party scripts, so consent management still matters.
  • Federal claims are unaffected: Claims under the federal Wiretap Act and Stored Communications Act, often filed alongside CIPA claims, are not affected.
  • ADA risk is unchanged: SB 690 has no effect on ADA website accessibility lawsuits, which continue every month, as this report shows.

The Governor Says More Reform is Needed

In his signing statement, Governor Newsom acknowledged the damage caused by CIPA shakedown lawsuits and demand letters aimed at small businesses. He called on the Legislature to address CIPA’s other decades-old provisions next year to curb what he described as “rapacious” litigation.

This victory belongs to the coalition partners, advocates, and business owners who shared their stories and made the case for reform.

Stay Protected with EcomBack

The businesses best placed for what comes next are those that keep auditing what their websites load and how every user experiences them. EcomBack audits your website against ADA and WCAG standards using both automated and human-led testing, monitors it as your site changes, and documents your compliance efforts.

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    An EcomBack client secured summary judgment and dismissal of an ADA website suit, with EcomBack supplying the technical evidence.

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Hire EcomBack as Your Trusted Digital Accessibility Partner.

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