Washington State ADA Lawsuit Surge: Starbucks, Nordstrom & Eddie Bauer Sued

Pacific Northwest Brands Under Fire

In a multi-week investigation aired in late February 2026, KIRO 7 News Seattle uncovered a coordinated wave of ADA website accessibility lawsuits targeting Washington-based companies — from global brands to small local businesses.

Major Washington brands named in the suits:

Starbucks — Seattle-based coffee giant
Nordstrom — Luxury department store chain
Zumiez — Action sports retailer
Outdoor Research — Outdoor gear manufacturer
Eddie Bauer — Outdoor clothing and gear
Tommy Bahama — Resort-wear brand

But household names aren't the only targets. KIRO 7 found that smaller businesses across Washington are being hit just as hard.

Shir Donovick, owner of Sheer the Brand, a luxury women's shapewear company run out of her home:

"I'm flattered and honored at the same time to be named on this list of such great fashion brands and companies, but this is not how I imagined it."

Donovick was lucky. Her business had recently upgraded its website, and the lawsuit only cited examples from the old site. Her lawyer wrote a strongly worded response and the case was dismissed. But for many businesses, the outcome is very different.

The Numbers: 4,000 Lawsuits in 2025 Alone

KIRO 7 and its sister stations across the country tracked more than 15,000 ADA website accessibility lawsuits over the last four years.

In 2025 alone, 4,000 cases were filed — and more than 90% came from the same 16 law firms.

This data aligns with EcomBack's 2025 ADA Website Accessibility Lawsuit Report, which documented 3,948 lawsuits filed last year, with:

40 law firms filing all cases
251 plaintiffs named across all filings
33 plaintiffs alone initiated over half of all lawsuits
Top two law firms: Equal Access Law Group, PLLC (641 cases) and Manning Law, APC (615 cases)

The concentration of cases among such a small group of firms and plaintiffs strongly suggests a coordinated litigation strategy designed for volume and quick settlements.

"I Am Morally Aghast by What Is Going On"

Nayan Padrai, CEO of EcomBack, was himself sued for website accessibility issues. The experience prompted him to investigate the broader landscape — and what he found shocked him.

Nayan Padrai, CEO of EcomBack:

"I am morally aghast by what is going on. The motive is profit. And wherever you have a profit motive, you're going to find creative ways to make a profit."

Padrai claims to have spoken to over 1,500 business owners who were sued. He's spent hundreds of thousands of dollars investigating the cases and is now producing a documentary called "Blind Sighted" about the situation.

His research uncovered a troubling pattern:

Nayan Padrai on plaintiff recruitment:

"The plaintiffs in New York that we spoke to were paid $500 for every settlement that had their name on them. I believe every plaintiff law firm that is in this space needs to be investigated."

A trailer for his documentary includes an unnamed plaintiff saying: "Get a free computer. Of course, who doesn't want a free computer?"

Padrai believes many law firms actively recruit visually impaired individuals to become serial plaintiffs, offering them modest payouts while the firms collect five-figure settlements.

Inside the Business Model: $500 for Plaintiffs, Five Figures for Lawyers

Stephanie Martz, chief counsel of the National Retail Federation, told KIRO 7 that many of these cases end in five-figure settlements:

Stephanie Martz, National Retail Federation:

"The sad thing is that often, it is easier and cheaper for businesses to just write checks and make this go away, rather than continue to fight it over and over again."

Here's the typical financial breakdown of these suits:

Recipient	Typical Payment
Plaintiff (visually impaired individual)	$500 per settlement
Plaintiff's attorney	$10,000 - $15,000+ per settlement
Business (defendant)	Settlement + own legal fees (often $15,000 - $30,000 total)
Accessibility improvements	Often minimal or none included in settlement

The economics create a powerful incentive: attorneys can file hundreds of cases using the same template, secure quick settlements, and move on — while businesses pay thousands and plaintiffs receive a fraction of the payout.

"We Want to Move the Ball on an Industry-Wide Basis"

Bruce Carlson, a Pittsburgh-based attorney interviewed by KIRO 7, is one of the leading figures in this litigation space. He was among the first to file lawsuits over website accessibility — including the case against Sheer the Brand.

Bruce Carlson, ADA website accessibility attorney:

"We have filed, certainly, hundreds. I don't know what the exact number is. That's intentional because we are trying to be impactful. We want to move the ball on an industry-wide basis."

Carlson believes that because the federal government won't take steps to enforce online accessibility, the responsibility falls on lawyers like him:

"Because the federal government won't take steps to enforce online accessibility, the responsibility falls on lawyers like him."

But even Carlson acknowledges problems with the system:

Bruce Carlson on copycat litigation:

"There are several times I have come across suits from other lawyers that are copy and pasted from my own suits with only minor details changed. Their approach is antithetical to the interests of disability rights in some instances."

In other words: even attorneys filing these cases recognize that many are copy-paste templates designed for volume, not genuine advocacy.

Accessibility Widgets Don't Protect You

One of the most striking findings from EcomBack's 2025 report: nearly 25% of lawsuits targeted websites that already had accessibility widgets or plugins installed.

These quick-fix tools — often marketed as "one-line of code" solutions — claim to make websites ADA compliant instantly. But they don't address underlying code-level compliance issues.

In April 2025, the Federal Trade Commission fined accessiBe $1 million for making false claims that their overlay product guaranteed ADA compliance. (See our full analysis: FTC Fined accessiBe $1 Million: Why Accessibility Overlays Failed.)

The reality: overlays create a false sense of security while leaving businesses legally exposed.

Why widgets fail:

They can't fix structural HTML issues
They can't add missing form labels or alt text
They often break screen reader navigation
They're explicitly called out in lawsuits as ineffective
The Overlay Fact Sheet has been signed by 800+ accessibility professionals condemning their use

If your business is using an accessibility widget, you're still at risk — and 1 in 4 lawsuits proves it.

What Makes a Website Non-Compliant?

The lawsuits focus on issues that block screen reader users — assistive technology that reads web content aloud for visually impaired individuals.

Common violations cited in Washington ADA lawsuits:

Missing alt text — Images without hidden descriptive text, so screen readers can't describe them
Inaccessible pop-ups — Overlays that trap screen reader users, preventing them from navigating the site
Poor heading structure — Missing or improperly ordered headings (H1, H2, H3) that screen readers rely on for navigation
Unlabeled form fields — Input fields without clear labels, making forms impossible to complete
Keyboard navigation failures — Inability to navigate the site using only a keyboard (required for many assistive technologies)
Low color contrast — Text that's too light against its background, unreadable for low-vision users

Rory Martin, a web designer with decades of experience interviewed by KIRO 7, estimates that 98-99% of small to medium businesses are not ADA compliant at a basic level.

Rory Martin, web designer:

"It's grunt work, going through, updating all the alt images, making sure you don't have any pop-ups that are traps for the visually impaired. It's not rocket science, but it is real work that real web developers need to do."

Martin estimates it takes one to two weeks for a typical small business website to become ADA compliant — a manageable investment compared to a lawsuit.

Industries Most At Risk

EcomBack's 2025 report identified the sectors facing the highest lawsuit volume:

Industry	Lawsuits in 2025	Why They're Targeted
Food & Beverage / Restaurants	1,300+	Online menus, ordering, reservations, location finders
Retail / E-commerce	900+	Product catalogs, checkout flows, shopping carts
Professional Services	600+	Contact forms, service descriptions, appointment booking
Healthcare	400+	Patient portals, appointment scheduling, forms
Financial Services	300+	Account dashboards, transaction interfaces, forms

In Washington state specifically, KIRO 7's investigation found that all sectors are being targeted — from global brands to small local businesses run out of homes.

What Washington Businesses Should Do Right Now

The KIRO 7 investigation makes clear: no Washington business is too small to be sued. Shir Donovick ran her shapewear company from home and still ended up on a list alongside Starbucks and Nordstrom.

Shir Donovick's advice to business owners:

"Get a lawyer. So many other entrepreneurs and business owners are probably experiencing this and might be scared, might not know what to do. I hope that by talking about this more, we are creating awareness, but also providing resources and information on how to solve this."

Here's a practical action plan for Washington businesses:

Step 1: Get a Free Baseline Assessment

Use RatedWithAI's free scanner to check your website for common WCAG violations:

Scan Your Website Now (Free)

Get instant results on missing alt text, color contrast issues, and more

Step 2: Fix High-Priority Issues

Focus on the violations most commonly cited in lawsuits:

Add descriptive alt text to all images
Ensure all pop-ups and modals are keyboard accessible
Fix low color contrast text
Label all form fields clearly
Add proper heading structure (H1, H2, H3)

Step 3: Don't Rely on Widgets

If you're using an accessibility overlay or widget, don't assume you're protected. 25% of lawsuits in 2025 targeted businesses that had these tools installed.

Step 4: Document Your Efforts

Keep records of:

Accessibility audits and their results
Remediation work completed
Ongoing monitoring and testing
A public accessibility statement

If you do receive a demand letter, documented good-faith efforts can strengthen your defense.

Step 5: Have a Response Plan

If you receive an ADA demand letter:

Don't ignore it — the problem won't go away
Contact an ADA defense attorney immediately
Don't make admissions without legal counsel
Don't rush to settle without negotiating for actual accessibility improvements

See our full guide: How to Respond to an ADA Demand Letter (2026 Guide).

The Push for Federal Reform

The National Retail Federation is pushing for federal legislation to address what they view as exploitative litigation tactics.

Several proposed reforms are under consideration:

Clear federal standards — Define what constitutes website ADA compliance (currently ambiguous)
Notice-and-cure period — Require plaintiffs to notify businesses of violations and allow time to fix them before filing suit
Mandatory accessibility improvements — Ensure settlements actually result in compliance, not just payouts
Caps on attorney fees — Limit the financial incentive for volume filing

Nayan Padrai agrees that federal action is needed:

Nayan Padrai on needed reforms:

"He wants the law changed at the federal level to make website requirements under the ADA clear and end the endless lawsuits."

Until federal reform passes, Washington businesses must take proactive steps to protect themselves.

Related Context: Nationwide Patterns

The KIRO 7 Seattle investigation is part of a broader national pattern documented by Cox Media Group stations across the country.

In February 2026, Boston 25 News (another Cox Media station) published a multi-part investigative series that found:

15,332 ADA website lawsuits filed since 2022
Victor Ariza (Miami) filed 383 lawsuits personally
Sara Campbell was sued 3 times despite being compliant
Plaintiffs paid $500, attorneys collect $3,000 - $10,000+
Majority of cases filed by just 5 law firms (out of ~20 active nationally)

The patterns are identical across regions: high-volume serial filing, copy-paste complaints, quick settlements that don't include meaningful remediation.

Read the full analysis: 15,000+ ADA Website Lawsuits Since 2022: Inside the "Sue-and-Settle" Business Model.

Key Takeaways for Washington Businesses

1.4,000 ADA lawsuits were filed in 2025, with 90% from just 16 law firms — Washington brands from Starbucks to small home-based businesses are being targeted
2.Plaintiffs are paid $500 per settlement, while attorneys collect five-figure payouts — creating a profit-driven business model
3.25% of lawsuits targeted sites WITH accessibility widgets — overlays don't protect you from litigation
4.98-99% of small/medium businesses are non-compliant at a basic level — making accessibility a critical blind spot for most companies
5.Prevention costs less than defense — 1-2 weeks of web development work vs. $15K-30K in legal fees and settlements

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are so many Washington-based companies being sued for ADA violations?

KIRO 7's investigation found that 4,000 ADA website accessibility lawsuits were filed in 2025, with 90% coming from just 16 law firms. Major Washington brands like Starbucks, Nordstrom, Zumiez, Outdoor Research, Eddie Bauer, and Tommy Bahama have been targeted, along with smaller businesses. The concentration of filings from a small number of law firms suggests a coordinated litigation strategy focused on quick settlements.

How much are plaintiffs being paid in these ADA lawsuits?

According to Nayan Padrai, CEO of EcomBack who was interviewed by KIRO 7 and has investigated over 1,500 cases, plaintiffs in New York are typically paid $500 for every settlement that carries their name. Meanwhile, attorneys can collect five-figure settlements — often $10,000 to $15,000 or more — creating a significant financial incentive for serial filing.

Do accessibility widgets protect businesses from ADA lawsuits?

No. EcomBack's 2025 report found that nearly 25% of lawsuits targeted websites that already had accessibility widgets or plugins installed. These quick-fix tools don't address underlying code-level compliance issues and have proven ineffective in preventing litigation. The FTC even fined accessiBe $1 million in 2025 for false claims that their overlay guaranteed ADA compliance.

What industries are most targeted by ADA website lawsuits in Washington?

Nationally, food and beverage and restaurant sectors face the highest number of lawsuits — over 1,300 in 2025 according to EcomBack's annual report. In Washington, the KIRO 7 investigation found both major brands (Starbucks, Nordstrom, Eddie Bauer) and smaller local businesses across all sectors are being targeted. Web designer Rory Martin estimates 98-99% of small to medium businesses are not ADA compliant at a basic level.

How long does it take to make a Washington business website ADA compliant?

According to Rory Martin, a web designer interviewed by KIRO 7, it typically takes one to two weeks to get a small business website ADA compliant. The work involves updating alt text for images, ensuring proper heading structure, making pop-ups accessible, and fixing screen reader navigation issues. Prevention costs are significantly lower than defending a lawsuit or paying a settlement.

Who are the law firms filing most ADA website lawsuits?

EcomBack's 2025 report identified 40 law firms filing all ADA website accessibility lawsuits, with 90% of cases coming from just 16 firms. The top two firms were Equal Access Law Group, PLLC (641 cases) and Manning Law, APC (615 cases). On the plaintiff side, 33 individuals alone initiated over half of all lawsuits filed in 2025, demonstrating the serial filing nature of this litigation.

What should a Washington business do if they receive an ADA demand letter?

Contact an experienced ADA defense attorney immediately. Do not ignore the letter or assume it will go away. According to attorney Bruce Carlson interviewed by KIRO 7, many businesses choose to settle because it seems cheaper than fighting in court. However, settlements typically don't include comprehensive accessibility fixes, leaving businesses vulnerable to repeat lawsuits. The National Retail Federation notes that many settlements reach five figures.

Is it legal for law firms to recruit plaintiffs for ADA lawsuits?

Nayan Padrai, who has spent hundreds of thousands investigating these cases and is producing a documentary called "Blind Sighted," believes many law firms actively recruit visually impaired individuals to become serial plaintiffs. In his KIRO 7 interview, he stated: "I believe every plaintiff law firm that is in this space needs to be investigated." While the practice raises ethical concerns, the National Retail Federation is pushing for federal legislation to address the issue.

Protect Your Washington Business from ADA Lawsuits

Don't wait for a demand letter. Scan your website now for free to identify compliance issues before they become lawsuits. Our scanner checks for the exact violations cited in Washington ADA lawsuits — missing alt text, color contrast issues, keyboard navigation failures, and more.

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Washington State ADA Lawsuit Surge: Starbucks, Nordstrom & Eddie Bauer Sued — KIRO 7 Investigation