Serial-filing plaintiffs use automated crawlers to find accessibility gaps on Shopify stores — then file demand letters in bulk. E-commerce is the #1 target.
12 missing alt texts on product images are your top ADA exposure — fixable in under 10 minutes.
The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that businesses open to the public provide equal access to people with disabilities. Courts have increasingly ruled that websites are 'places of public accommodation' — meaning your online store must be usable by people with visual, motor, and cognitive disabilities.
In practice, this means your site needs to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA guidelines: proper alt text on images, sufficient color contrast, keyboard navigability, form labels, screen reader compatibility, and more.
The ADA doesn't require a warning letter before filing suit. Plaintiffs can go directly to federal court. And because the law allows recovery of attorney fees, a handful of law firms have turned this into a volume business — filing hundreds of near-identical complaints per month.
A small number of law firms drive the majority of ADA web filings. Their process is highly automated:
Firms use tools like WAVE, axe, or custom scripts to crawl hundreds of e-commerce sites per day, flagging missing alt text, contrast failures, and keyboard traps.
They pair findings with a visually impaired or disabled plaintiff who attempts to use the site and documents the barriers they encounter.
You receive a letter claiming ADA violations with a detailed list of WCAG failures. Settlement demand typically ranges from $5,000 to $25,000 for first-time targets.
If you don't settle quickly, they file in federal court. Legal defense alone costs $15,000–$50,000+ regardless of outcome, making early settlement the rational choice.
Don't wait for the demand letter.
SuitProof scans your store for these exact vulnerabilities before attorneys do.
Scan My StoreDTC skincare brand sued for missing alt text on product images, inaccessible dropdown menus, and missing form labels on the checkout page.
Mid-size fashion e-commerce site settled after complaint cited 47 specific WCAG violations across product and category pages.
Health supplement Shopify store targeted for low contrast text, missing skip navigation, and non-accessible modal popups.
Online home decor retailer settled quickly after serial-filer plaintiff documented screen reader failures across 30+ product pages.
Prevention costs less than a settlement.
Join the waitlist and scan your store for free.
Common accessibility gaps that trigger ADA demand letters:
SuitProof automatically scans your Shopify store for these exact risks. Get on the waitlist for early access and a free compliance scan.
Crawls every page and checks against WCAG 2.1 AA criteria — the same standard courts reference in ADA web cases.
Flags every image missing alt text and checks existing alt text for quality and descriptiveness.
Monitors ADA web filing activity so you know which firms are active and what they target.
Theme updates and new pages can break accessibility. Ongoing scans catch regressions before plaintiffs do.
Free during beta · No credit card required
Most compliance gaps are quick fixes — the hard part is knowing they exist. Run your first scan in five minutes and launch with confidence.