--- title: 2018 ADA Web Accessibility Lawsuit Recap Report description: Read our annual report to learn about 2018's largest lawsuits related to web accessibility for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) noncompliance. image: https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/GettyImages-973270860.jpg --- - [skip to menu](https://blog.usablenet.com/2018-ada-web-accessibility-lawsuit-recap-report#nav) - [skip to content](https://blog.usablenet.com/2018-ada-web-accessibility-lawsuit-recap-report#main-content) - [skip to footer](https://blog.usablenet.com/2018-ada-web-accessibility-lawsuit-recap-report#footer) Test the accessibility of your website for free! Try UsableNet AQA. 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[Get Help with EN 301 549 Compliance](https://info.usablenet.com/eaa-en-301-549-compliance) - [Who We Serve](https://usablenet.com/strategic-relationships) ## Industry [E-commerce and Consumer Goods](https://info.usablenet.com/e-commerce-accessibility-solutions) [Food Service and Hospitality](https://info.usablenet.com/-industries-food-service-hospitality) [Banking and Financial Services](https://info.usablenet.com/industries-financial-services) [Healthcare](https://info.usablenet.com/industries-healthcare) [Technology and Business Services](https://info.usablenet.com/-industries-technology-and-business-services) [Public Sector and Education](https://info.usablenet.com/industries-public-sector-and-education) ## Compliance [Canadian Accessibility Laws](https://info.usablenet.com/compliance-canada) [European Accessibility Laws](https://info.usablenet.com/eaa-en-301-549-compliance) [Other International Accessibility](https://info.usablenet.com/compliance-international) [United States Accessibility Laws](https://info.usablenet.com/compliance-united-states) 2026 Midyear report on digital accessibility lawsuits in the US [Download Now](https://info.usablenet.com/2026-midyear-report) - [Pricing](https://usablenet.com/pricing) - [Blog](https://blog.usablenet.com/) - [About Us](https://usablenet.com/about-us) [Get a Demo](https://info.usablenet.com/contact) Close Open Menu - Solutions ## Solutions [UsableNet Assistive](https://usablenet.com/technology/assistive-technology-services) A managed service combining experts, technology and legal support to make your website accessible [UsableNet AQA](https://usablenet.com/technology/aqa) Accessibility management and testing software for designers, developers, and testers [Accessibility Audits & Support Services](https://usablenet.com/services) Expert guidance and training to empower your team to create accessible digital experiences Which accessibility remediation approach is right for me? [Take our Quiz](https://info.usablenet.com/website-accessibility-remediation-quiz) - Resources ## Resources [E-books & Guides](https://usablenet.com/resources?contentType=E-books%20and%20Guides) [Case Studies](https://usablenet.com/resources?contentType=Case%20Studies) [Reports](https://usablenet.com/resources?contentType=Reports) [Webinars](https://usablenet.com/resources?contentType=Webinars) [Tools](https://usablenet.com/resources?contentType=Tools) [All Resources](https://usablenet.com/resources) ## Essential Resources [ADA accessibility lawsuit tracker](https://info.usablenet.com/ada-website-compliance-lawsuit-tracker?__hstc=181257784.2243d86205d8f41e204908d6f6578263.1725908600455.1736198093211.1736205902814.174&__hssc=181257784.1.1736205902814&__hsfp=3011104808) [Checklist: how to achieve and maintain digital accessibility](https://info.usablenet.com/digital-website-accessibility-checklist?__hstc=181257784.2243d86205d8f41e204908d6f6578263.1725908600455.1736198093211.1736205902814.174&__hssc=181257784.1.1736205902814&__hsfp=3011104808) [Which remediation approach is right for me?](https://info.usablenet.com/website-accessibility-remediation-quiz?__hstc=181257784.2243d86205d8f41e204908d6f6578263.1725908600455.1736198093211.1736205902814.174&__hssc=181257784.1.1736205902814&__hsfp=3011104808) [A Primer on ADA and Digital Accessibility](https://info.usablenet.com/a-primer-on-ada-and-digital-accessibility?__hstc=181257784.2243d86205d8f41e204908d6f6578263.1725908600455.1736198093211.1736205902814.174&__hssc=181257784.1.1736205902814&__hsfp=3011104808) The EAA is in Effect — Is Your Website Compliant? [Get Help with EN 301 549 Compliance](https://info.usablenet.com/eaa-en-301-549-compliance?__hstc=181257784.2243d86205d8f41e204908d6f6578263.1725908600455.1736198093211.1736205902814.174&__hssc=181257784.1.1736205902814&__hsfp=3011104808) - Who We Serve ## Industry [E-commerce and Consumer Goods](https://info.usablenet.com/industries-e-commerce-consumer-goods) [Food Service and Hospitality](https://info.usablenet.com/-industries-food-service-hospitality) [Banking and Financial Services](https://info.usablenet.com/industries-financial-services) [Healthcare](https://info.usablenet.com/industries-healthcare) [Technology and Business Services](https://info.usablenet.com/-industries-technology-and-business-services) [Public Sector and Education](https://info.usablenet.com/industries-public-sector-and-education) ## Compliance [Canadian Accessibility Laws](https://info.usablenet.com/compliance-canada) [European Accessibility Laws](https://info.usablenet.com/compliance-europe) [Other International Accessibility](https://info.usablenet.com/compliance-international) [United States Accessibility Laws](https://info.usablenet.com/compliance-united-states) 2026 Midyear report on digital accessibility lawsuits in the US [Download Now](https://info.usablenet.com/2026-midyear-report) - [Pricing](https://usablenet.com/pricing) - [Blog](https://blog.usablenet.com/) - [About Us](https://usablenet.com/about-us) [Get a Demo](https://info.usablenet.com/contact) # 2018 ADA Web Accessibility Lawsuit Recap Report **By** [Jason Taylor, Chief Innovation Strategist](https://blog.usablenet.com/author/jason-taylor) on Dec 26, 2018 **Topics:** [Web Accessibility](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/web-accessibility) 1 Comment - - - ![Usablenet - 2018 ADA Web Accessibility Lawsuit Recap Report](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/GettyImages-973270860.jpg) Editor's Note: See last month's ADA lawsuit numbers with [UsableNet's lawsuit tracker.](https://info.usablenet.com/ada-website-compliance-lawsuit-tracker) This blog is based on our 2018 lawsuit report, which we compile twice a year. To view the latest numbers, [check out our 2024 Midyear report on digital accessibility lawsuits.](https://info.usablenet.com/2024-midyear-digital-accessibility-lawsuit-report-download-page) Our latest year-end numbers are here in the [2023 year-end report](https://info.usablenet.com/2023-year-end-digital-accessibility-lawsuit-report-download-page).  The lawsuit culture surrounding website accessibility has grown steadily over the past few years and shows no slowing. UsableNet’s research team has tracked all ADA web accessibility-related lawsuits throughout 2018. They affect companies large and small in a wide range of industries in communities at home and abroad. The industry's insufficient progress toward accessibility and unclear government guidance has only contributed to the problem. ## The 2018 web accessibility lawsuit report The UsableNet research team has been tracking 2018 federally filed ADA web accessibility-related lawsuits. In 2018, we tracked 2285 lawsuits—up 181% over 2017 which had 814. [![Download the full 2018 report here >>](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3280432/cc0c65c4-75f2-47a1-b36f-cc780ffa74ff.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3280432/cc0c65c4-75f2-47a1-b36f-cc780ffa74ff) [![ADA Web accessibility-Related Lawsuits exploded with a 181 percent increase in 2018 over 2017](https://blog.usablenet.com/hs-fs/hubfs/1_year_comparison.png?width=600&name=1_year_comparison.png)](https://info.usablenet.com/2018-ada-web-accessibility-lawsuit-recap-report) *Image description: ADA web accessibility-related lawsuits exploded with a 181% increase in 2018 over 2017. In 2017, there were 814 cases. In 2018, we tracked 2285 lawsuits filed.* ## New York- and Florida-Based Plaintiffs New York and Florida are still where the majority of lawsuits are brought, but this reflects more about the plaintiffs and their lawyers’ locations and less about the companies being targeted. Any company that does business in these states can be targeted. New York and Florida represent 96 percent of total filings, but the key point here is that only the filings are in these two states; the companies listed are from all over. [![ADA web accessibility-related lawsuits were recorde in every state, but two stand out the most: New York and Florida.](https://blog.usablenet.com/hs-fs/hubfs/2_filed_lawsuits.png?width=600&name=2_filed_lawsuits.png)](https://blog.usablenet.com/ada-web-accessibility-lawsuit-report-infographic) *Image description: A graphic communicates that in Florida, 726 lawsuits were filed in 2018 resulting in an average of 61 lawsuits filed per month. Out of all 2018 lawsuits, Florida was responsible for 32%.  New York was accountable for 64% of all 2018 lawsuits.* The Effect Is Nationwide and International Taking a look at the headquarters locations of the companies that are listed in the New York and Florida filings, it’s clear that the whole nation is affected. The top ten states are New York, California, Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Georgia, and Connecticut. Also, 11 percent of the cases involve non-US-based companies, so the effect is global. [![The companies sued in these jurisdictions are distributed across the U.S. Additionally, 11% of companies sued are headquartered internationally including Italy, France, Japan and Brazil.](https://blog.usablenet.com/hs-fs/hubfs/3_top10states.png?width=600&name=3_top10states.png)](https://info.usablenet.com/2018-ada-web-accessibility-lawsuit-recap-report) *Image description: The companies sued in these jurisdictions are distributed across the US. The companies sued in these jurisdictions are distributed across the US.* There Is an Industry Pattern Although many industries are involved across the cases, six stand out for the additional attention they get. Retail, food service, travel/hospitality, banking/financial, entertainment and leisure, and self-service, have the majority of cases, reflecting a general pattern over 2017 and 2018 toward these types of organizations. [![The industries that received the biggest focus in web accessibility litigation include retail, food service, travel/hospitality, banking/financial, entertainment and leisure, and self-service.](https://blog.usablenet.com/hs-fs/hubfs/4_industries.png?width=600&name=4_industries.png)](https://info.usablenet.com/2018-ada-web-accessibility-lawsuit-recap-report) *Image description: The industries that received the biggest focus in web accessibility litigation include retail, food service, travel/hospitality, banking/financial, entertainment and leisure and self-service* Defending Lawyers vs. Plaintiff Lawyers With more than 600 law firms representing companies across the U.S., the top 10 law firms represent over one-third of all cases on the defendant side, while the top 10 plaintiff firms bring over three-fourths of all cases. The report lists the top 10 on each side of the fence squaring off on a regular basis that will likely mean similar settlements and agreements being agreed over time. [![Over 600 law firms are engaged in either supporting plaintiffs or defending companies that are sued.](https://blog.usablenet.com/hs-fs/hubfs/5_lawyers.png?width=600&name=5_lawyers.png)](https://info.usablenet.com/2018-ada-web-accessibility-lawsuit-recap-report) *Image Description: A visual of a justice scale represents the percentages that each group defends.* ## Summary Lawsuits at a federal level (covered in the report) continue to rise for two primary reasons. Firstly, companies have not been proactive enough in both action and communication of digital accessibility, especially as people with disabilities rely more and more on them. Secondly, the DOJ’s lack of a clear standard leaves lots of room for interpretation and allows even companies that have been proactive to be targeted. Without action from the DOJ in 2019, which does not look likely, the most effective use of resources for any company is to immediately understand where it stands with regard to web accessibility and the popular standard of the WCAG; create a plan to remediate any barriers to people using assistive technology; and engage a third party to communicate and document the efforts. These three activities should help reduce the likelihood of a company being identified by plaintiffs and their lawyers. [![The European Accessibility Act is Now in Effect - Schedule a Consulation now to see if you're affected](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3280432/interactive-191261690494.png)](https://blog.usablenet.com/hs/cta/wi/redirect?encryptedPayload=AVxigLLbhpufJfMp%2BDFI346cv1dyDgv11G%2BVRxF%2BpeEndLx2Eh%2FU6j1ribBBozUO8sF56WTvjM8H2VJsC%2BRQsNbhr1ta8Wk7zjACp1CDDYL5Wcx8AxO23ypA8JnKQ6kecZqYAgoQcSIeIb0sxsEMjOcjezqVmkd6FDGv%2F3DXXUeUjZlVldfz0RMduvsdyPxl1VCfZwEDlfVSsQHioBhZU4WcNJC8%2FPAfS1pF&webInteractiveContentId=191261690494&portalId=3280432) ![Jason Taylor, Chief Innovation Strategist](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Reuploads%20-%20SEO/Jason%20Taylor.png) ### [Jason Taylor, Chief Innovation Strategist](https://blog.usablenet.com/author/jason-taylor) Jason C. Taylor is the Chief Innovation Strategist and Advisor to the UsableNet CEO with over 20 years of experience in usability and accessibility. Jason is a global technology thought leader for multichannel customer engagement, actively advising leading companies on how to extend their brands across multiple channels for all users. He has been an active member of the accessibility and usability communities since 2001, which started with leading partnerships between UsableNet, Macromedia (now Adobe), and The Nielsen Norman Group. - - - - ### Related posts ![Hotel Website Accessibility: Check-in, Messaging, and In-Stay Barriers for Blind Guests](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Beachside-min.jpg) [Hotel Website Accessibility: Check-in, Messaging, and In-Stay Barriers for Blind Guests](https://blog.usablenet.com/hotel-website-accessibility-check-in-and-in-stay-barriers-for-blind-guests) Jul 15, 2026 ![Hotel Website Accessibility: Browsing Room Options](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Beachside-min.jpg) [Hotel Website Accessibility: Browsing Room Options](https://blog.usablenet.com/hotel-website-accessibility-browsing-room-options) Jul 14, 2026 ![Inside the 2026 Midyear Numbers: The ADA continues to be the ONLY true enforcement around](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Registration%20-%20Midyear%20Report.png) [Inside the 2026 Midyear Numbers: The ADA continues to be the ONLY true enforcement around](https://blog.usablenet.com/inside-the-2026-midyear-numbers-where-digital-accessibility-litigation-is-going) Jul 8, 2026 ![The Low-Cost Moves That Strengthen an ADA Website Defense](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/The%20Low-Cost%20Moves%20That%20Strengthen%20an%20ADA%20Website%20Defense.png) [The Low-Cost Moves That Strengthen an ADA Website Defense](https://blog.usablenet.com/the-low-cost-moves-that-strengthen-an-ada-website-defense) Jun 16, 2026 ### Sign Up for the UsableNet Blog ### Recent Posts ![feature image](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Beachside-min.jpg) [Hotel Website Accessibility: Check-in, Messaging, and In-Stay Barriers for Blind Guests](https://blog.usablenet.com/hotel-website-accessibility-check-in-and-in-stay-barriers-for-blind-guests) Jul 15, 2026 ![feature image](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Beachside-min.jpg) [Hotel Website Accessibility: Browsing Room Options](https://blog.usablenet.com/hotel-website-accessibility-browsing-room-options) Jul 14, 2026 ![feature image](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Registration%20-%20Midyear%20Report.png) [Inside the 2026 Midyear Numbers: The ADA continues to be the ONLY true enforcement around](https://blog.usablenet.com/inside-the-2026-midyear-numbers-where-digital-accessibility-litigation-is-going) Jul 8, 2026 ### Posts by Topic - [Web Accessibility (311)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/web-accessibility) - [User Experience (113)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/user-experience) - [ADA Lawsuits (45)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/ada-lawsuits) - [ADA Website Compliance (38)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/ada-website-compliance) - [European Accessibility Act (34)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/european-accessibility-act) - [Mobile Web (30)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/mobile-web) - [Mobile Apps (27)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/mobile-apps) - [Retail (27)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/retail) ![](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Consultation%20Icon.svg) Need to improve digital usability, accessibility or performance? 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Stay up-to-date on our insights, the latest tech news and digital trends. ![International Association of Accessibility Professionals logo](https://blog.usablenet.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SaaS%20Theme/2023%20Header%20and%20Footer/IAAP-logo.png?width=150&height=81&name=IAAP-logo.png) © 2026 UsableNet Inc. ![International Association of Accessibility Professionals logo](https://blog.usablenet.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SaaS%20Theme/2023%20Header%20and%20Footer/IAAP-logo.png?width=150&height=81&name=IAAP-logo.png) © 2026 UsableNet Inc. ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Jason Taylor, Chief Innovation Strategist", "url" : "https://blog.usablenet.com/author/jason-taylor" }, "dateModified" : "2025-06-11T18:26:35.734Z", "datePublished" : "2018-12-26T15:02:00.000Z", "headline" : "2018 ADA Web Accessibility Lawsuit Recap Report", "image" : [ "https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/GettyImages-973270860.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.usablenet.com/2018-ada-web-accessibility-lawsuit-recap-report", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/UsableNet%20Logo_Black.png" }, "name" : "UsableNet Inc." } } ```