Here's what happened in 2023: federal courts processed 3,847 class action filings. That's down 12% from 2022, but still 28% above where things stood in 2019.
Why should you care? If you're running a business, these numbers show where your company might get sued next. If you're a consumer eyeing that settlement postcard on your counter, they explain why you'll probably receive less than the cost of lunch.
Data breach cases jumped 47% between 2022 and 2024. Securities fraud actions? Down nearly a third. Plaintiff attorneys chase the money—and right now, that means privacy violations and employment disputes, not stock drop litigation.
Federal class action filings hit 2,998 in 2019. By 2022, that number peaked at 4,371 before dropping to 3,847 in 2023. But zoom out and you'll notice something: those cases didn't vanish. They moved.
California state courts handled 1,823 consumer class actions in 2023—up 19% from 2020. New York and Florida saw similar bumps. Plaintiff attorneys discovered that state courts offer better odds for certification, friendlier judges, and laws that actually favor consumers over corporations.
The Class Action Fairness Act was supposed to funnel more cases into federal court. It worked for a while. Then lawyers got creative. Illinois federal courts, which used to attract consumer cases from across the country, processed 487 fewer filings in 2023 compared to 2021. Those plaintiffs just refiled in state...