Click here to view the PDF.

Watch the on-demand webinar where we break down the key findings from UsableNet’s 2025 Midyear ADA Lawsuit Report. John Egan, Partner at Seyfarth Shaw, joins Jason Taylor, UsableNet’s Chief Innovation Officer, to unpack the trends behind the data—what types of claims are rising, how lawsuits are evolving, and what companies can do now to reduce risk and improve digital accessibility.

Whether your team is navigating U.S. ADA compliance or preparing for the European Accessibility Act, this session offers practical takeaways and expert legal insights to guide your next steps.

Watch the recording now to learn:

  • What’s driving the 2025 surge in accessibility lawsuits

  • Common website and app issues cited in claims

  • How industry, geography, and new regulations are shaping risk

  • What you can do to reduce your exposure in the second half of 2025


Watch the Recording: Register to watch on-demand

 

Below is a full-text description of our midyear report

Tile 1: 2025 MIDYEAR REPORT ADA DIGITAL ACCESSIBILITY LAWSUITS - Websites, Mobile, and Video 

The UsableNet research team has tracked and documented digital accessibility lawsuits involving websites, mobile apps, and video content. This report covers all cases filed across the 11 federal circuit courts under the ADA, as well as cases filed in key individual state courts, including New York and California, highlighting the latest trends as of June 2025. Data and images may be shared with the attribution to UsableNet and a link to www.usablenet.com.

 

Tile 2: 2025 Sees Digital Accessibility Lawsuits Spike

The text reads: So far in 2025, plaintiffs have filed 2,019 lawsuits. At the current pace, website accessibility lawsuits are projected to increase by nearly 20% over 2024’s total. This spike follows a familiar pattern: when federal enforcement slows, private plaintiffs step in. What's notable this year is the growing shift toward state-level filings, especially in New York, where courts often offer more favorable conditions for applying the ADA to websites. This shift in strategy is helping drive the overall rise in digital accessibility lawsuits. 

Image description: The number of cases is growing yearly from 2018 to the middle of 2025. The numbers are as follows: 2018: 2314; 2019: 2890; 2020: 3503; 2021: 4011; 2022: 4035; 2023: 4630; 2024: 4187; 2025: 4975, estimated by the end of the year.

 

Tile 3: New York Leads, Florida Surges in Website Accessibility Lawsuits

The text reads: New York continues to lead in the total number of lawsuit filings; however, most plaintiffs are opting to file their cases in state instead of federal courts. At the same time, Florida is re-establishing itself as a key jurisdiction and is currently the most active state for federal lawsuits.

Image Description: Bar graph comparing the number of cases in California, New York, and Florida between January and June. Jan had 27 cases filed in California, 245 in New York, and 61 in Florida. February had 14 in California, 269 in New York, and 58 cases filed in Florida. March had 25 cases in California, 255 in New York, and 114 in Florida.  April had 9 cases in California, 243 in New York, and 81 in Florida. May had 21 cases in California, 247 in New York, and 107 in Florida. June is projected to have 8 cases in California, 170 in New York, and 65 in Florida.

 

Tile 4: Defense Rankings Shift: New Plaintiff Leaders Emerge

The text reads: In 2025, Dentons reclaimed the top position, while Stein & Nieporent LLP and other firms in the top ten remain consistent players on the defense side, only shifting in their rankings. Conversely, in recent years, new leaders have emerged on the plaintiff side as legal activity at the state level expands.

Image Description: Two columns list the top 10 ADA defense and top 10 plaintiff firms.

The top ten defense attorneys are 1: Dentons US LLP; 2: Stein & Nieporent LLP; 3: Jackson Lewis P.C.; 4: Ogletree Deakins 5: O'Hagan Meyer LLC;  6: Law Offices of Nolan Klein, P.A. 7: Sheppard, Mullin, Richter and Hampton LLP; 8: Seyfarth Shaw LLP; 9: Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP; 10: Littler Mendelson, P.C.

The top ten plaintiff lawyers are: 1: Mizrahi Kroub LLP; 2: Equal Access Law Group PLLC; 3: Gottlieb & Associates; 4: Stein Saks, PLLC; 5: Skaked Law Group; 6: Aleksandra Kravets, Esq. P.A.; 7: Nye, Stirling, Hale, Miller & Sweet LLP; 8: Manning Law APC; 9: Roderick Hannah, Esq., P.A.; 10: Horowitz Law, PLLC

 

Tile 5: Lawsuits Pinpoint Key Industries

The text reads: Most website accessibility lawsuits target companies that fall under the ADA's definition of places of public accommodation. Plaintiffs argue that websites act as digital gateways to goods and services and so should be required to meet the same accessibility standards.

Image description: This is a pie chart showing the percentage of digital ADA lawsuits filed in eCommerce versus all other industries. 69% of lawsuits filed are in eCommerce, and all other industries combined constitute 31% of the cases.

The text reads: A breakdown of percentage by industry - eCommerce: 69%; Food Service Industry: 18%; Healthcare: 4%; Fitness & Wellness: 3%; Education: 2%; Travel/Hospitality: 1%; Entertainment & Leisure: 1%; Other: 1%; Banking/Financial: <1%; Automotive: <1%; Digital Media & Agencies: <1%; Insurance: <1%; Self-service: <1%.

 

Tile 6: Large Companies See Steady Rise in Lawsuits

The text reads: Lawsuits against large companies are steadily increasing. In the first half of 2025, 36% of sued companies had annual revenue exceeding $25 million, up from 33% in 2024. This shift suggests that plaintiffs are focusing on companies with more resources to settle lawsuits. Smaller companies are still targeted but account for a smaller share of lawsuits than in past years.. 

Image description: Bar graphs comparing the revenue of companies who have received ADA lawsuits so far in 2025. Through June 2025, 64% of lawsuits are under 25M in revenue and 36% are greater than 25M in revenue.

 

Tile 7: Big eCommerce Brands in the Spotlight

Image Description: Bar graph showing 20% of the top 500 eCommerce retailers received a lawsuit so far in 2025.

The text reads: The more popular a site is, the more likely it is to receive one or multiple lawsuits. In a lawsuit, plaintiffs need to establish a solid reason for using a website and the likelihood that they will return. Focusing on popular eCommerce sites is an easy way to develop the probable need to access and use a website.

 

Tile 8: Widget Woes: Over 20% of Lawsuits Hit Sites Using Widgets in 2024

The text reads: Accessibility widgets haven't slowed the rise in digital accessibility lawsuits. More plaintiffs are filing lawsuits against companies that already use these tools. This trend shows that widgets often fail to fix the core accessibility issues that plaintiffs and law firms cite. Many tools don't correct code-level problems and sometimes create new barriers for people who use screen readers. Widgets often add control panels or overlays that interrupt screen reader navigation, making websites more complicated to use for the people they aim to support.

Image description: A bar graph showing the number of digital accessibility lawsuits mentioning an accessibility widget each month in 2025: JAN: 85; FEB: 119; MAR: 132; APR: 105; MAY: 119; JUN: 99.

 

Tile 9: Final

Methodology: The UsableNet research team tracks and documents all digital accessibility lawsuits involving websites, mobile apps, and video content. This report covers all cases filed across the 11 federal circuit courts under the ADA, as well as cases filed in key individual state courts, including New York and California, highlighting the latest trends as of June 2025. This process enables UsableNet to provide our clients with the most current advice for planning digital accessibility initiatives.

Source: Data is based on UsableNet’s research team’s collection across multiple legal sources from January 1, 2025, to June 30, 2025.

Next steps:

A trusted partner can help you improve accessibility and reduce legal risk. Contact us for a free consultation with an accessibility expert.

Get a free evaluation of your website against the latest accessibility standard (WCAG 2.2) Test with UsableNet AQA.