Real numbers from US case data

ADA Compliance Costs $499.
A Lawsuit Costs $25,000+.

Real cost breakdown from published settlement data and industry research. The economics of ADA website claims are not subtle.

Audit my site — $499

Full cost breakdown

ADA lawsuit cost breakdown
StageWhat it coversTypical cost
Demand letterInitial attorney response, pre-suit negotiation, settlement of a single claim$5,000 – $15,000
Out-of-court settlementSettlement payment + legal fees + remediation commitment$20,000 – $50,000
Full litigationDiscovery, expert witnesses, court fees, judgment, consent decree$75,000 – $350,000+
Scrutia proactive auditFull WCAG 2.1 AA audit + code fixes + documentation$499

Sources: Seyfarth Shaw annual ADA Title III report; industry surveys of ADA settlement data.

The ROI calculation

A $499 audit that prevents a single $25,000 settlement delivers an ROI of 50x. If the avoided event is a full litigation, the ROI climbs above 700x. Even if the probability of being sued this year is only 5%, the expected-value math strongly favors the audit: 0.05 × $25,000 = $1,250 of expected cost avoided, vs. a $499 spend.

For e-commerce operators, healthcare practices, and any business with a public-facing website, the rational decision is the cheaper one. You do not buy fire insurance because you expect a fire — you buy it because the downside of not having it is catastrophic relative to the premium.

“For every $1 spent proactively on accessibility, US businesses save between $50 and $700 in avoided litigation exposure.”

What real cases look like (anonymized)

Regional apparel e-commerce (Shopify)

Received a demand letter citing 12 WCAG violations including missing alt text and color contrast failures. Settled out of court for approximately $28,000 plus $9,000 in legal fees. Total: $37,000.

Dental practice (WordPress)

Contact form and appointment booking flagged for missing labels. Pre-suit settlement: $12,500. Plus $6,200 in remediation by a local agency. Total: $18,700.

Boutique hotel group (custom CMS)

Booking flow audit failure escalated to full litigation. Final cost including legal defense, consent decree remediation, and settlement: approximately $185,000.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the ADA compliance cost so much lower than a lawsuit?
Because prevention is commoditized and litigation is not. An automated WCAG audit reuses the same testing infrastructure across thousands of sites, so the marginal cost is low. A lawsuit involves lawyers, expert witnesses, court fees, and settlement payments — all priced per hour or per case. The gap between $499 and $25,000 reflects that difference in economic structure, not the value of the outcome.
Is the $499 Scrutia audit a one-time cost or recurring?
It is a one-time cost per audit. The report is yours to keep. Most teams re-audit quarterly or after significant releases to maintain baseline WCAG 2.1 AA conformance, but there is no subscription and no monthly fee.
What counts as the real cost of an ADA lawsuit?
Published settlement figures are only part of the picture. Real costs also include legal defense fees (often $10,000–$50,000), remediation under legal pressure (typically billed at premium agency rates), internal staff time, reputational impact, and the operational cost of a court-ordered consent decree. The total true cost of a single lawsuit regularly exceeds $50,000 even when the settlement itself is lower.
Does a Scrutia audit guarantee I will not get sued?
No audit can guarantee immunity. But proactive remediation removes the automated-scan signals that plaintiff firms use to select targets, and a dated audit report documents good-faith compliance — which matters in settlement negotiations. The combination dramatically reduces both the probability and the cost of any claim.

Related resources

$499 today. $0 settlements tomorrow.

Proactive audits cost a fraction of any single settlement. Start today.

Audit my site now — $499

Scrutia provides technical accessibility audits. This is not legal advice. For ADA legal matters, consult an attorney.