Your Website Could Get You Sued: The Rise of ADA Web Accessibility Lawsuits

If you run a business with a website (so, basically every business), there is something you should know. ADA web accessibility lawsuits are surging, and companies of all sizes are getting hit. This is not just a big corporation problem. Small businesses are actually the most common targets.

Let us walk through what is happening, who is getting sued, and what you can do to protect yourself.

The Numbers Are Hard to Ignore

In 2024, over 4,000 lawsuits were filed in federal and state courts by individuals with visual, hearing, or other disabilities. These lawsuits alleged that company websites and mobile apps failed to comply with Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). According to UsableNet's 2024 Digital Accessibility Lawsuit Report, plaintiffs filed 4,187 lawsuits for digital accessibility that year.

And 2025? Even worse. The first half of 2025 alone saw 2,014 ADA website lawsuits, a 37% increase from the same period in 2024, according to the EcomBack 2025 Mid-Year Report. At that pace, 2025 was on track for nearly 5,000 cases.

Here is a stat that might surprise you: according to Accessibility.Works, 77% of ADA lawsuits in 2023 targeted companies with under $25 million in revenue. This is not just a Fortune 500 problem.

Real Companies, Real Lawsuits

Domino's Pizza: The Case That Changed Everything

Back in 2016, a blind man named Guillermo Robles sued Domino's Pizza because he could not order food through their website or mobile app using screen-reading software. The case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. In October 2019, the Supreme Court declined to hear Domino's appeal, effectively letting the lower court ruling stand: websites tied to physical businesses must be accessible under the ADA. In June 2021, a federal judge ruled that Domino's had violated the ADA and ordered the company to bring its website into compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0. The case ultimately settled on June 6, 2022, with Domino's confirming its commitment to maintaining WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA compliance.

Fashion Nova: A $5.15 Million Wake-Up Call

In 2025, Fashion Nova agreed to a $5.15 million class-action settlement after allegations that its website was inaccessible to blind customers relying on screen-reading software. The case had dragged on for five years. As part of the settlement, Fashion Nova agreed to work toward conformance with WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards. According to Lainey Feingold's analysis, the DOJ actually opposed the initial settlement terms, arguing the deal gave too much money to lawyers and too little to the people who were actually harmed.

E-Commerce Is the Biggest Target

If you sell anything online, pay close attention. E-commerce websites account for roughly 69% to 77% of all digital accessibility lawsuits, depending on the report you read. That makes online stores by far the most common target. Industries like consumer goods, food and beverage, retail, healthcare, hospitality, and education round out the list of most-sued sectors.

Accessibility Widgets Are Not a Shield

Here is something a lot of business owners do not realize: installing an accessibility overlay or widget does not protect you from lawsuits. In fact, according to Accessibility.Works, 25% of all lawsuits in 2024 (over 1,000 cases) explicitly cited accessibility widgets as barriers rather than solutions. These overlay tools often create new problems while failing to fix the underlying issues.

What Can You Actually Do?

The good news is that the most common accessibility issues are fixable. The WebAIM Million 2025 report found that the number one accessibility error across the top one million websites is low color contrast, appearing on 79.1% of home pages. That is a problem you can check and fix today using free tools like our Accessibility Color Contrast Checker.

Beyond color contrast, common issues include missing alternative text for images, missing form input labels, and empty links or buttons. Start with a WCAG audit, fix the basics, and build accessibility into your workflow going forward. It does not have to be overwhelming if you take it step by step.

The Bottom Line

Web accessibility lawsuits are not slowing down. If anything, they are picking up speed. With settlements ranging from $5,000 to over $5 million, plus attorney fees and redesign costs, the financial risk of an inaccessible website is real. But more importantly, making your website accessible is just the right thing to do. Millions of people depend on accessible design to use the internet. Taking steps now protects your business and serves your customers better.