New York Website Lawsuits: The Numbers

New York still leads the federal count for website accessibility lawsuits, but the headline number hides a shift. Federal filings fell in 2025, while state court filings stayed large. A business that reads only the federal figure will think New York cooled off. A business that reads both counts will see a move between court systems, not a quiet market.

The federal figure is clear. Seyfarth Shaw counted 1,021 website accessibility lawsuits filed in New York federal courts in 2025, making New York the busiest federal venue that year. Nationally, Seyfarth counted 3,117 federal website accessibility lawsuits in 2025, up 27 percent from 2,452 in 2024. Website cases made up 36 percent of all 8,667 federal ADA Title III filings in 2025, up from 28 percent in 2024. Those two scope notes matter: the 3,117 figure counts federal website accessibility cases only, not all ADA Title III cases, and not state court cases.

The year over year fall, on the federal count

Seyfarth reports New York federal website filings at 1,564 in 2024 and 1,021 in 2025. That is a fall of 543 cases on that tracker, about one third lower than the prior year. The national federal total moved the other way, rising 27 percent, because Florida nearly doubled, from 470 in 2024 to 961 in 2025, and Illinois rose to 585. New York fell while the national federal total rose. That split is the first clue that the story is about where cases are filed, not only about how many cases exist.

EcomBack tells a similar direction with different numbers, which is expected when trackers count different sets. EcomBack counted 1,108 New York website lawsuits in 2025, down from 1,600 in 2024, a fall of 30.75 percent on its count, on a national total of 3,948. The two trackers agree on direction for New York: down year over year. They disagree on the level, because Seyfarth counts federal filings found through a keyword search of court news data and reviewed by hand, while EcomBack counts a wider state-wise set. Quote the tracker with the number, every time, or the comparison breaks.

Why state court matters more in New York now

Seyfarth gives a reason for the federal fall that has nothing to do with fewer barriers. Its post says New York federal courts have been more demanding lately about the allegations needed to show a plaintiff has standing, which has led many plaintiffs to file in New York and New Jersey state courts instead of federal court. Standing, in this context, means whether the person bringing the case has shown a concrete connection to the business and a real intent to use its goods or services. A stricter standing test in federal court does not remove the underlying claim. It can push the same kind of claim into a state court with different pleading rules.

UsableNet, which reviews complaints in federal and key state courts, shows how large that state side is. UsableNet reported more than 5,000 digital accessibility lawsuits filed in 2025, with nearly 2,000 cases filed in New York and California state courts combined, and federal filings adding more than 3,100 cases on top. UsableNet also says New York accounted for well over one third of all state-level ADA website lawsuits in 2025. Its count is wider than Seyfarth federal count, because it includes mobile apps and online services as well as websites, and it includes key state courts. That wider scope is why its total sits above the federal website total, and why it should not be added to the Seyfarth total as if the two were separate piles.

The practical result is a two track picture. Federal New York website filings fell to 1,021 in 2025. State level New York activity stayed high enough for UsableNet to place New York at well over one third of state-level cases. A New York business with customers in the city and the state cannot plan from the federal number alone.

The state and city laws behind the cases

New York cases can rest on more than the federal ADA. The New York State Human Rights Law, Executive Law section 296, covers unlawful discriminatory practices, including in places of public accommodation. The New York City Human Rights Law sits alongside it as Title 8 of the Administrative Code of the City of New York, with section 8-107 covering unlawful discriminatory practices, as shown on the New York City Commission on Human Rights law page. A business that serves customers in New York City can face a state claim, a city claim, and a federal claim on related facts, in different courts, under different procedures.

This article does not quote a damages figure for New York, because the state and city remedies turn on the claim, the court, and the facts, and no single figure was verified from a primary source opened today. A reader who sees a single New York dollar figure in a secondary roundup should ask which law it comes from, which court awarded it, and whether it was a settlement, a judgment, or a statutory figure. Without those answers, the figure is noise.

What to fix first on a New York facing site

The barriers cited most often are ordinary and fixable: images with no text alternative, form fields with no label, links and buttons with no name, low contrast text, and menus that trap keyboard users. A scan finds those items fast, but a scan alone does not test whether a checkout, a booking form, or a menu order flow works end to end. Run a keyboard pass on the pages customers use most, then check those pages with a screen reader if you can, or ask a tester who uses one to try the core task.

Axeazy runs 98 automated checks and covers 14 fix categories, including alt text, form labels, link names, button names, keyboard tab order, iframe titles, and heading structure. Colour contrast is reported with a calculated correct colour, and a visible colour change is never applied without owner approval. Paid prices are shown at checkout on Axeazy pricing, with annual billing saving 20 to 25 percent, and the full scope is on Axeazy capabilities. For a site with a GitHub repo, fixes arrive as a real pull request with a visible diff that the owner or developer reviews and merges. For WordPress, a free plugin applies 3 instant render time fixes. For Shopify, the scan works and fixes come as a guided checklist, never as automatic code changes.

Keep a dated record by page, issue, criterion, fix, and retest date. New York cases often turn on what a site looked like on a given date and what changed after.

Related reading on tool choice by fix method is here: How to Choose an Accessibility Tool: 10 Criteria

FAQ

How many New York website lawsuits were filed in 2025?

It depends on the count you mean. Seyfarth counted 1,021 federal website accessibility lawsuits in New York in 2025. EcomBack counted 1,108 New York website lawsuits in its wider state-wise table. UsableNet counted more than 5,000 digital accessibility lawsuits nationally, with New York at well over one third of state-level cases. Name the tracker and the scope with any figure you quote.

Did New York website lawsuits fall in 2025?

On the federal count, yes. Seyfarth reports a fall from 1,564 in 2024 to 1,021 in 2025. EcomBack also reports a fall, from 1,600 to 1,108. Neither tracker says overall New York activity fell by the same amount, because state court filings sit outside the federal count and stayed large.

Do New York state and city laws matter if a case is federal?

Yes, because related claims can arise under state and city law on the same facts, and plaintiffs may file in state court instead of federal court. The New York State Human Rights Law and the New York City Human Rights Law are separate sources of duty from the federal ADA, with their own procedures.

What should I do if I received a demand letter or was sued in New York?

This article gives general information, not legal advice. Talk to a qualified attorney if you received a demand letter or were sued. Keep the letter, keep your dated scan and fix record, and do not reply with factual admissions before you have advice on which court and which law the claim relies on.

Last checked: October 31, 2026 Sources

• Seyfarth Shaw ADA Title III blog, federal website filings in 2025
• UsableNet ADA web lawsuit trends for 2026, 2025 filings
• EcomBack 2025 ADA website lawsuit annual report
• New York City Commission on Human Rights, text of the law page Start with a free homepage scan to see the barriers a visitor meets first: Axeazy homepage

Related reading

• Florida Website Lawsuits, Explained