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:
January 2026
The Hottest in Mass Tort Spending: December 2025
Birth Control Injections
Featured Tort
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Published: January, 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 Roblox Child Abuse
The Roblox Child Abuse mass tort ends 2025 ablaze, taking the #1 position as ad spending surges alongside mounting national attention. Nearly 80 lawsuits have now been centralized in San Francisco federal court, where Judge Richard Seeborg will oversee discovery and bellwether trials. This consolidation marks a turning point, streamlining what’s quickly becoming one of the most high-profile child exploitation cases in recent memory.
Roblox advertising has gained momentum as firms position early for what could be a defining litigation in 2026. With visibility at its peak and plaintiffs’ activity intensifying, this tort is running hot and showing no signs of cooling.
For CPA, CPL, and common criteria, contact us.
#2 Birth Control Injections
The Birth Control Injections mass tort closes the year strong at #2 after spending most of 2025 at the top. The latest spark came mid-December, when the FDA approved a label change for Pfizer’s Depo-Provera, officially warning patients of a potential link to meningioma. That update gives plaintiffs new traction in more than 1,000 ongoing lawsuits alleging the company failed to warn users of the risk.
While TV spending dipped slightly, digital and PPC campaigns kept the tort’s presence fiery. This litigation remains one of the most active and well-funded in the field, and as Pfizer faces growing scrutiny, ad dollars here continue to deliver high engagement. For firms seeking a reliable performer with room to expand, the Birth Control Injections tort remains a powerful contender heading into 2026.
CPA: $3,495
CPL: $2,062
For common criteria, please contact us.
#3 Takata Airbag Recall
A steady base of TV spending continues to anchor this tort’s reach, while renewed digital investment has reignited interest among firms looking for stable, proven performance.
Though not the flashiest contender, Takata remains one of the most recognizable and enduring mass torts on the board, and that reliability continues to pay off. As newer campaigns fluctuate, this veteran tort holds its ground, staying warm and well-positioned for advertisers who favor predictability over volatility.
For metrics such as CPA, CPL, and common criteria, please contact us.
#4 Talcum Powder
The Talcum Powder mass tort remains one of the fiercest battlegrounds in mass tort litigation, closing 2025 with renewed intensity. December delivered back-to-back blows for Johnson & Johnson: a $40 million verdict in California for two women with ovarian cancer, followed days later by a $65.5 million award in Minnesota for a mesothelioma case. Together, those outcomes reignited national coverage and reminded firms why this litigation refuses to cool.
More than 90,000 claims still wait for resolution, and with bellwether trials slated for 2026, public awareness and plaintiff recruitment are running high. Even without TV spend, digital engagement has stayed strong, proof that the Talcum Powder tort continues to burn bright in both the courtroom and the media marketplace.
CPA: $940
CPL: $470
For common criteria, please contact us.
#5 Paraquat
The Paraquat mass tort continues to prove that steady heat can be just as powerful as a flash fire. While other torts spiked and cooled throughout the year, Paraquat finished 2025 in a steady spot with strong conversion metrics that keep advertisers coming back.
Litigation over the herbicide’s alleged link to Parkinson’s disease remains active nationwide, and firms have found this tort to be a reliable performer across digital channels. Even without TV spending, its sustained results show that efficiency and precision still win the long game. For firms seeking predictable lead quality and lasting traction, the Paraquat tort holds firm as a smart, strategic investment heading into 2026.
CPA: $711
CPL: $320
Common Criteria: Diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease or experiencing Parkinson’s-like symptoms after exposure to Paraquat.
#6 Roundup®
The Roundup® mass tort reignites as 2025 closes, fueled by controversy and a wave of renewed public attention. A key study that once declared glyphosate, Roundup’s® active ingredient, safe for humans was officially retracted in early January 2026, after evidence surfaced that Monsanto scientists may have secretly shaped the findings. The fallout has been immediate: calls for the EPA to revisit glyphosate’s safety and mounting concern from farmers, consumers, and environmental advocates alike.
For plaintiff firms, that means opportunity. With Bayer still facing thousands of cancer-related claims and regulatory scrutiny back in the spotlight, interest in Roundup® advertising is heating up once again. This tort has weathered years of litigation, but 2026 could see it flare into one of the most-watched environmental cases on the board.
CPA: $1,238
CPL: $743
For common criteria, please contact us.
#7 Clergy Abuse
The Clergy Abuse mass tort continues to move steadily, closing the year with solid digital performance and a wave of renewed headlines. The Archdioceses of New York, New Orleans, and St. Louis each faced major developments in December — from bankruptcy settlements and fundraising scrutiny to legal motions seeking dismissal of survivor claims. The legal and financial pressure on church institutions remains immense, and public attention isn’t fading.
For metrics such as CPA, CPL, and common criteria, please contact us.
#8 Gambling Addiction
The Gambling Addiction mass tort makes its debut in the Top 10, and it’s coming in hot. Fueled by expanding class actions against major sportsbook operators like DraftKings and FanDuel, this emerging litigation is gaining traction fast. Plaintiffs allege that these companies designed platforms to encourage compulsive betting while failing to protect vulnerable users, sparking lawsuits across multiple states.
This tort represents new ground in consumer protection, where legalities, mental health, and regulatory conversations collide. For firms looking to get in early, Gambling Addiction offers an opportunity to enter a rapidly growing field while awareness is on the rise.
For metrics such as CPA, CPL, and common criteria, please contact us.
#9 Social Media Addiction
The Social Media Addiction mass tort closes out the year with strong digital momentum and rising cultural visibility. As multiple states pursue claims against Meta and other platforms, the litigation has entered a new phase—one marked by consolidation and growing public scrutiny. At the heart of the claims is a clear argument: that these platforms were intentionally engineered to keep users, particularly teens, compulsively engaged, often at the expense of their mental health.
This tort sits squarely at the intersection of technology, psychology, and public safety, a space that’s only getting louder.
CPA: $628
CPL: $314
For metrics such as CPA, CPL, and common criteria, please contact us.
#10 Rideshare Assault
The Rideshare Assault mass tort cools slightly to close out the year, slipping from #5 to #10 as PPC spending eased. Even so, Meta activity remains strong, keeping this litigation visible as survivor advocacy and public concern continue to build.
The allegations are sobering: major rideshare companies failed to provide adequate safety measures to protect passengers from assault. While ad activity softened in December, the underlying issue isn’t losing traction. With accountability efforts expanding and new cases expected in 2026, firms invested in this tort are maintaining long-term positioning in a space that still demands attention.
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.
