About the new and improved Hot Tort Report
Being industry experts, we pride ourselves on keeping our finger on the pulse of all things Multi District Litigation. This predominantly consists of providing our subscribers with competitive insights into where the money is being spent in hopes of informing your blueprint for advertising strategies. These cases can be highly lucrative, but are difficult to acquire, requiring significant investment and patience to secure high-value cases.
We’ve been working hard on an algorithm to deliver more than just monthly TV spends and are proud to announce that we are ready to unveil our HTR 2.0.
This new list offers an overview of dollars spent across TV, Meta, PPC, and more, assigning a score to each tort based on what we, as leaders in the law firm advertising space, are witnessing across these various platforms.
The Hot Tort Report:
February 2026
The Hottest in Mass Tort Spending: January 2026
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Published: February, 2026. Advertising spend from multiple sources for a recent 30 day period.
If you have any questions, please contact us at national@whitehardt.com
#1 Talcum Powder
Blazing into first place this month has been the Talcum Powder mass tort.
While Johnson & Johnson has won the majority of ovarian cancer trials to date, recent verdicts have kept pressure on the defense, including a $1.56 billion mesothelioma award in Baltimore and several other high-dollar jury outcomes late in 2025. With bankruptcy strategies fully exhausted and cases actively moving forward again, advertiser confidence appears to be strengthening.
January’s surge suggests law firms are positioning early for what could be a pivotal year in talc litigation, keeping this mass tort firmly in the spotlight.
CPA: $940
CPL: $470
For common criteria, please contact us.
#2 Hernia Mesh
Hernia Mesh surged back into the top 10 in January, driven largely by a sharp increase in TV ad spending, which climbed 3.5 points month over month. Notably, this was the only tort in the top 10 this month that saw any TV activity. Meta activity also picked up, suggesting renewed advertiser interest after several quieter months. This rebound follows a long absence from the upper rankings and marks one of the more notable re-entries this cycle.
Common Criteria: Hernia mesh surgery from 2000—present; suffered from one of the following: Perforation, Bowel Obstruction, Mesh Erosion, Mesh Contraction, Torn Mesh, Sepsis/Infection, Granuloma, Adhesion, Dehiscence that resulted in a removal/repair, scheduled or future.
For metrics such as CPA and CPL, please contact us.
#3 Paraquat
Paraquat held steady near the top of the rankings in January, powered almost entirely by increased Meta activity. The digital push signals sustained interest as litigation developments continue to unfold ahead of a Phase II trial set to begin April 6, 2026. Advertisers appear to be positioning early. Repeated pre-trial settlements and growing regulatory scrutiny are keeping Paraquat firmly in play, even without a corresponding lift in TV ad spending.
CPA: $711
CPL: $320
Common Criteria: Diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease or experiencing Parkinson’s-like symptoms after exposure to Paraquat.
#4 Roblox Child Abuse
Meta spend for Roblox Child Abuse fell 1.6 points, and PPC dipped by 1.0, signaling a modest pullback after several months of heightened attention. Despite the slowdown, advertiser interest has not disappeared, particularly as legal pressure continues to build at the state level.
While Roblox has announced expanded age verification and additional safety controls rolling out in early 2026, regulators argue that those measures came only after litigation mounted. As more states step in and consumer protection claims advance, Roblox-related litigation remains a closely watched area, keeping this mass tort relevant even amid softer ad spending.
For metrics such as CPA, CPL, and common criteria, please contact us.
#5 Birth Control Injections
Birth Control Injections slipped to fifth place in January, marking a notable shift for a mass tort that has spent more than a year in the top 3. The decline was broad, with decreases across WHii, Meta, and TV ad spending, signaling a clear cooling phase after an extended period of dominance.
While advertiser interest has not disappeared, January’s pullback suggests firms may be reassessing spend after sustained investment, rather than responding to any single litigation catalyst. Even with the downturn, Birth Control Injections remains firmly in the top half of the rankings, underscoring its continued relevance. How long this cooling period lasts will be closely watched, especially given the tort’s long-standing position as a consistent advertising heavyweight.
CPA: $5,169
CPL: $3,050
For common criteria, please contact us.
#6 Rideshare Assault
Rideshare Assault climbed back into the rankings in January, jumping from 10th place to 6th as Meta activity strengthened and WHii rose. While TV ad spending remained flat, the upward movement reflects renewed attention as high-profile litigation developments moved into the spotlight early in the year.
That attention coincides with the start of the first major federal bellwether trial involving sexual assault allegations against Uber, which began in Arizona on January 13, 2026. The case is the first of thousands of consolidated lawsuits accusing Uber of failing to protect passengers despite long-standing awareness of sexual assault risks tied to its platform. January’s rebound suggests advertisers are positioning ahead of outcomes that could shape the direction of this litigation moving forward.
For metrics such as CPA, CPL, and common criteria, please contact us.
#7 Social Media Addiction
The steady climb of the Social Media Addiction tort reflects growing attention as long-anticipated litigation against major social media platforms finally moved into the courtroom.
TikTok has agreed to settle a landmark youth addiction lawsuit just before trial, alongside a similar pre-trial settlement by Snapchat’s parent company, Snap Inc. The case is one of the first bellwether actions testing claims that platforms deliberately designed addictive features targeting minors. With trials continuing against Meta and YouTube, and hundreds of related cases waiting in the wings, advertisers are watching closely.
CPA: $666
CPL: $333
For common criteria, please contact us.
#8 Roundup®
Roundup® remained in the top 10 in January, though overall momentum softened. WHii declined slightly, while Meta activity increased, suggesting a shift toward more targeted digital positioning. PPC spending also dipped, contributing to the lower overall score this cycle.
Even with the pullback, Roundup® continues to hold a consistent presence in the rankings. With ongoing litigation developments and advertiser strategies evolving, this tort remains one to watch closely.
CPA: $1,238
CPL: $743
For common criteria, please contact us.
#9 Video Game Addiction
The Video Game Addiction tort was supported by a modest increase in Meta activity, keeping it just inside the top 10. While overall movement was limited, the category continued to draw attention as new litigation theories began to surface.
That attention follows a newly filed federal lawsuit in New York alleging that the creators of Fortnite and Minecraft, along with Microsoft, failed to include safeguards to prevent addictive gameplay. Though still early, the case reflects a broader push to apply addiction-based claims to interactive digital products, keeping Video Game Addiction on advertisers’ radars as this area develops.
CPA: $376
CPL: $169
Common Criteria: Child must be under 18 and spend 4+ hours per day, 5+ days per week, playing Minecraft, Fortnite, GTA 5, or Call of Duty. Child must also experience one or more of the following: addiction, poor school performance, school dropout, cognitive or developmental delays, chronic depression or anxiety, or self-harm/suicidal behavior.
#10 Birth Injury
Birth Injury returned to the Hot Tort Report in January after several months outside the rankings. The re-entry was driven primarily by increased Meta activity, alongside a modest rise in WHii, suggesting renewed digital interest rather than a broad advertising push.
While TV ad spending remained absent this cycle, Birth Injury’s return to the top 10 points to steady underlying demand. After last appearing when August data was reported, January’s movement indicates advertisers may be selectively re-engaging as the category regains visibility.
For metrics such as CPA, CPL, and common criteria, please contact us.
Mesothelioma
You may be noticing a tort missing from our new report. While Mesothelioma continues to dominate the competition when it comes to spend levels, Whitehardt finds that this tort is its own niche animal. These cases can be extremely fruitful, but hard to come by, requiring a high buy-in to get in the game and patience when landing that ringer of a case. We believe that Meso will remain a constant for some time, but in regards to many of the other drugs and devices we focus on in this monthly report, we’ve decided to move it to its own category. If you are interested in hearing the latest news on Meso or how Whitehardt may be currently seeking these cases, you can contact us here.
Whitehardt will continue to track meso spending from month to month, so if you are interested in ongoing meso spending, please reach out to us directly. Going forward, we will be excluding meso from these tort reports.
