Florida ADA Website Lawsuits: 1,627 Cases Make FL Third Nationally

Florida has maintained its position as the third-highest ADA lawsuit jurisdiction nationally for seven consecutive years. The consistency is not coincidental. It reflects structural factors that make Florida uniquely attractive to plaintiff attorneys:

• 1,627 total ADA lawsuits filed in 2024 (all industries)
• 989 lawsuits filed through mid-2025 (on pace for similar totals)
• Third nationally behind only California and New York
• Government entities represent growing percentage of targets
• Tourism and hospitality industries create high website traffic

What Makes Florida Different:

Unlike other high-litigation states, Florida faces enforcement driven by three unique factors. First, geographic concentration in South Florida counties creates plaintiff attorney economies of scale. Second, the state's tourism economy means government websites serve massive out-of-state populations, expanding potential plaintiff pools. Third, Florida's large Spanish-speaking population has attracted specialized law firms filing accessibility lawsuits specifically targeting Spanish-language content.

For detailed Florida compliance requirements and deadlines, see the complete Florida state compliance guide.

A legally blind Miami resident has filed over 200 ADA website accessibility lawsuits systematically targeting government agencies across Florida and nationwide. This serial plaintiff represents the new face of ADA enforcement—organized, methodical, and relentless.

How the Serial Plaintiff Model Works:

• Uses screen reader software to test government websites
• Documents specific WCAG violations with screenshots and technical reports
• Files lawsuits claiming denied access to government services
• Targets entities with deep pockets and public accountability pressure
• Settles quickly for $30,000-$80,000 plus ongoing monitoring
• Moves to next target within days

Why Government Entities Are Prime Targets:

Government websites are attractive to serial plaintiffs for several reasons. First, public sector budgets mean settlement capacity exists. Second, government entities face public accountability pressure that makes quick settlements appealing. Third, most government sites have obvious violations that are easy to document. Fourth, governments cannot claim they are too small or resource-constrained—courts reject these defenses.

The Systematic Approach:

The Miami serial plaintiff is not filing random lawsuits. Evidence suggests systematic testing of Florida government websites using accessibility scanning tools, followed by manual verification with assistive technology. Targets are selected based on violation severity, settlement capacity, and public visibility. This is lawsuit litigation as a business model.

Learn more about Florida's specific enforcement landscape and deadlines.

Price Law Group, a Florida-based plaintiff firm, filed 234 ADA website accessibility lawsuits in Q1 2025 alone—making them one of the most active plaintiff firms in the nation. What sets them apart is their focus on Spanish-language accessibility violations, a strategy uniquely suited to Florida's demographics.

The Spanish-Language Angle:

Florida's Hispanic population exceeds 5.7 million people (26% of the state). Many government entities offer Spanish-language versions of their websites—but often fail to make those Spanish pages equally accessible. Price Law Group has identified this as a lucrative enforcement niche:

• Spanish content without proper alt text translations
• Spanish PDFs that are image-only (not screen reader accessible)
• Forms available in English-accessible versions but Spanish image-PDFs
• Spanish videos without Spanish captions
• Inconsistent accessibility between English and Spanish site versions

Why This Strategy Works in Florida:

Courts have consistently held that if you offer Spanish-language content, it must be equally accessible. You cannot provide accessible English content and inaccessible Spanish content—that creates discrimination. For Florida entities serving large Spanish-speaking populations, this creates double compliance obligations.

Target Profile:

Price Law Group focuses on Florida government entities that: 1) Serve areas with 20%+ Hispanic populations, 2) Offer Spanish-language website content, 3) Have public-facing services like permit applications or utility payments, 4) Have obvious accessibility violations in Spanish content.

See Florida's comprehensive compliance requirements including Spanish-language considerations.

Abstract lawsuit statistics do not capture the real financial impact. Here are documented Florida government settlements that show what entities are actually paying:

Miami-Dade County (2024): $78,000 Florida's largest county settled an ADA website accessibility lawsuit for $78,000 plus attorney fees and ongoing monitoring requirements. The case alleged residents with visual disabilities could not access critical county services including property tax payments, permit applications, and public meeting materials. Total cost including legal defense and remediation: estimated $175,000+.

Orange County Schools (2023): $68,000 Orlando-area Orange County Public Schools settled for $68,000 after lawsuit claimed parents with disabilities could not access student information systems, lunch payment portals, or IEP documents. Settlement included requirement for comprehensive PDF remediation across thousands of documents. Total compliance cost: estimated $150,000+.

Tampa (2024): $59,000 The City of Tampa settled for $59,000 plus commitment to full WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance within 12 months. Case focused on inability of blind residents to pay utility bills online, apply for city jobs, or access public records. Remediation costs exceeded settlement amount.

Earlier Florida Cases:
• Orange County: $19,000 settlement
• Palm Beach County Clerk: $9,500 settlement
• Martin County: $16,000 settlement

These settlements represent only the documented cases. Many entities settle with confidentiality clauses, meaning the true financial impact is higher.

For a complete analysis of Florida settlement trends, visit the Florida compliance page.

Florida welcomed 137.6 million visitors in 2023—more than six times the state's resident population. This tourism dominance creates unique ADA website accessibility risks that most other states do not face.

Why Tourism Increases Lawsuit Risk:

Out-of-state visitors use Florida government websites for:
• Beach access information and parking permits
• Tourist development tax documentation
• Short-term rental regulations and permits
• Public transportation and airport information
• Special event permits and reservations
• Emergency information during hurricane season

The Legal Implications:

When a California resident with a disability cannot access a Florida county beach parking permit website, they have standing to sue in Florida courts. Tourism multiplies your potential plaintiff pool from Florida's 22.6 million residents to anyone in the United States. This is why Florida has consistently high lawsuit numbers—the exposure is national, not just local.

Government + Tourism + Hospitality = Triple Threat:

Florida government entities often operate tourism-related services directly: beach access, parking, convention centers, sports facilities, airports. Each of these creates additional website accessibility obligations beyond traditional government services. The combination makes Florida government websites uniquely complex accessibility challenges.

Understand Florida's specific compliance obligations for tourism-related government services.

Florida's 1,627 annual lawsuits are not evenly distributed. Approximately 60% concentrate in three South Florida counties: Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach. This geographic concentration creates enforcement hot zones where lawsuit risk is exponentially higher.

Miami-Dade County (Miami):
• State's largest county with 2.7 million residents
• Home to serial plaintiff filing 200+ lawsuits
• Multiple plaintiff law firms headquartered here
• Highest settlement amounts in state ($78k documented)
• International gateway with Spanish-language obligations

Broward County (Fort Lauderdale):
• 1.9 million residents
• High lawsuit activity targeting municipalities
• Tourism economy creates visitor accessibility obligations
• Cruise port generates international traffic

Palm Beach County (West Palm Beach):
• 1.5 million residents
• Documented government settlements
• Growing plaintiff attorney presence
• High-profile targets attractive to lawyers

Why This Concentration Matters:

If your Florida government entity serves Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach counties, your lawsuit risk is 3-4x higher than the state average. The concentration of plaintiff attorneys, established legal precedents, and serial plaintiffs make South Florida the enforcement epicenter.

Other High-Risk Areas:
• Orange County (Orlando): Tourism hub, Price Law Group target area
• Hillsborough County (Tampa): Major city with documented settlements
• Duval County (Jacksonville): State's largest city by area

Review geographic risk factors specific to your Florida location.

Given Florida's unique risk profile—serial plaintiffs, Spanish-language requirements, tourism obligations, and South Florida concentration—your compliance strategy must be comprehensive and immediate.

Step 1: Assess Spanish-Language Content (This Week)

If you offer any Spanish-language website content:
• Scan Spanish pages separately for accessibility
• Check Spanish PDFs (95% are image-only and inaccessible)
• Verify Spanish videos have Spanish captions
• Ensure Spanish forms are screen-reader accessible
• Document accessibility parity between English and Spanish

Step 2: Evaluate Tourism-Related Services (This Week)

If your entity provides tourism services:
• Beach parking permit systems
• Event registration and reservations
• Facility rental applications
• Tourist information pages
• Maps and directions
• Emergency evacuation information

Step 3: Identify Your Geographic Risk (Today)

• Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach: CRITICAL priority
• Orange, Hillsborough, Duval: HIGH priority
• Other counties: ELEVATED priority
• Your risk level determines remediation urgency

Step 4: Run Comprehensive Accessibility Audit (This Week)

• Scan all public-facing websites and portals
• Check service payment systems (utilities, taxes, permits)
• Review public document libraries (especially PDFs)
• Test with actual screen reader software
• Document all violations for remediation priority

Step 5: Review Settlement History (Today)

Study Florida settlements to understand:
• What violations actually trigger lawsuits
• What plaintiff attorneys demand in settlements
• How much defense costs even when you win
• What ongoing monitoring requirements look like

See the complete Florida compliance roadmap with deadlines and requirements.

Analysis of Florida government settlement cases reveals specific violation patterns that plaintiff attorneys target:

PDF Accessibility (Found in 95% of Cases):
• Image-only PDFs without searchable text
• Missing document structure and headings
• Forms without proper field labels
• Spanish PDFs that are inaccessible images
• Public records, meeting agendas, forms all problematic

Missing Alternative Text (67% of Florida Sites):
• Photos without descriptive alt text
• Icons and buttons with missing labels
• Infographics without text alternatives
• Maps without accessible descriptions
• Decorative vs. functional image confusion

Form Accessibility Issues (58% of Florida Sites):
• Online payment forms without field labels
• Permit applications with accessibility barriers
• Employment applications that fail keyboard navigation
• Error messages that screen readers cannot detect
• CAPTCHA without audio alternatives

Video and Audio Content (44% of Cases):
• YouTube videos without captions
• Public meeting recordings without transcripts
• Spanish videos without Spanish captions
• Auto-playing audio without controls

Color Contrast Failures (52% of Florida Sites):
• Text on background with insufficient contrast
• Links not distinguishable from regular text
• Buttons that disappear for vision-impaired users
• Gray text on white backgrounds

Fix these five categories and you eliminate 90%+ of your Florida lawsuit risk. Visit Florida's technical compliance guide for specific remediation instructions.

Understanding how Florida compares to other high-enforcement states helps contextualize your risk:

Lawsuit Volume:
• California: 2,500+ annual lawsuits (1st nationally)
• New York: 1,800+ annual lawsuits (2nd nationally)
• Florida: 1,627 annual lawsuits (3rd nationally)
• Texas: 850+ annual lawsuits (4th nationally)

Average Settlements:
• New York: $71,000 (highest)
• California: $65,000
• Texas: $58,000
• Florida: $38,000-$78,000 (wide range)

Unique Risk Factors:

Florida's risk profile differs from other high-litigation states in critical ways:

• California: Tech industry focus, e-commerce targets, general business lawsuits
• New York: Financial services, aggressive plaintiff bar, class actions
• Florida: Serial plaintiffs, Spanish-language focus, tourism amplification
• Texas: Growing enforcement, government targets increasing

Florida's combination of factors—tourism, Spanish-language demographics, serial plaintiffs, and geographic concentration—creates enforcement pressure that is qualitatively different from other states. You cannot simply copy California or New York compliance strategies; Florida requires Florida-specific approaches.

Compare Florida's requirements to other state compliance obligations.

Essential Tools:
• Complete Florida Compliance Guide - Deadlines, requirements, case studies
• Free Website Accessibility Scanner - Instant WCAG 2.1 assessment
• 2026 Federal Deadline Timeline - What Florida entities must do
• Latest ADA Lawsuit News - National trends affecting Florida
• ADA Lawsuit Tracker - Real-time lawsuit feed

Related Florida Analysis:
• Serial Plaintiff Litigation Patterns - Understanding the model
• Spanish-Language Accessibility Requirements - Compliance for bilingual sites
• Government Settlement Case Studies - What entities are paying
• Tourism Industry Compliance - Visitor-facing services

Florida Government Resources:
• Florida Division of Emergency Management - Hurricane accessibility
• Florida Department of Education - School district guidance
• Florida League of Cities - Municipal compliance support
• Florida Association of Counties - County-specific resources