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:
May 2026
The Hottest in Mass Tort Spending: April 2026
Social Media Addiction
Featured Tort
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Published: May, 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 Roundup®
The biggest driver pushing Roundup® into 1st place this month was a sharp return to TV, which jumped from 0 to 4.7 in the last 30 days. This surge both preceded and coincided with the beginning of the U.S. Supreme Court case that could completely change the landscape of this tort.
High stakes and national visibility mean advertisers here are re-entering TV, capturing broader audiences while maintaining solid digital coverage. This is a clear example of spend following litigation. Roundup® has quickly reestablished itself as a top-tier, high-investment tort.
CPA: $1,238
CPL: $743
For common criteria, please contact us.
#2 Social Media Addiction
The Social Media Addiction campaign continued to be driven primarily by digital, with Meta activity still maxed out and PPC providing an additional lift. TV and WHii cooled, suggesting a modest softening in media intensity and courtroom visibility compared to last month.
A notable development this cycle is Meta’s decision to remove Facebook. That shift introduces a new layer of friction in what has been one of the most digitally dominant torts, potentially reshaping how firms approach client acquisition in this space.
Even with that constraint, Social Media Addiction remains firmly in the top tier. Whitehardt can help your firm adapt to platform changes like these while maintaining consistent lead flow across open channels.
For metrics such as CPA, CPL, or common criteria, please contact us.
#3 Diabetes Meds for Weight Loss
The Diabetes Meds for Weight Loss campaign has developed into a broader, multi-channel strategy that sets this tort apart from many others further down in the rankings. A recent wrongful death lawsuit alleges that Ozempic® may be linked to deadly stomach paralysis. While the manufacturer, of course, disputes these claims, the case highlights the growing range and severity of potential injuries tied to GLP-1 drugs.
CPA: $91 – $541
CPL: $68 – $406
Common Criteria: Took a prescription diabetes drug for weight loss (e.g. Ozempic®, Mounjaro®), discontinued use of the drug, and experienced one or more gastrointestinal disorders at least 30 days after your first dose.
#4 Talcum Powder
The rise in WHii score for the Talcum Powder mass tort implies growing activity in both media coverage and courtroom developments, signaling renewed attention around ongoing litigation. With litigation heating up, visibility is increasing even in the absence of major advertising shifts. Whitehardt can help your firm stay aligned with litigation-driven opportunities like this and optimize performance across digital channels.
CPA: $940
CPL: $470
For common criteria, please contact us.
#5 Rideshare Assault
This tort dipped slightly in April, but the overall picture hasn’t changed much. It continues to rely almost entirely on digital, with Meta and PPC keeping performance steady. What stands out is the consistency. Even without major spikes in spend or visibility, cases are still progressing through the system. A recent plaintiff win in the MDL, even at $5,000, reinforces that forward movement. Rideshare Assault isn’t flaming up, but it isn’t cooling either. It remains active and dependable in a crowded field.
For metrics such as CPA, CPL, and common criteria, please contact us.
#6 Birth Control Injections
While other torts moved around it, Birth Control Injections maintained its place in the rankings as a reliable, less volatile presence in the market. With no major shifts in advertising strategy or visibility, performance this month appears to be holding rather than building. Positioning like this can indicate continued confidence in the underlying litigation.
Whitehardt can help your firm identify when stable torts like this are ready for renewed investment or strategic scaling.
CPA: $5,169
CPL: $3,050
For common criteria, please contact us.
#7 Tariff Refund
The new Tariff Refund mass tort is tied to recent policy shifts following the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down certain federal tariffs. A new federal portal is now allowing eligible businesses to apply for refunds on billions in collected tariff revenue, creating a time-sensitive window for potential claimants to act.
While our WHii score remains relatively low so far, indicating only early-stage visibility, the combination of policy-driven urgency and multi-channel advertising suggests this is a tort gaining traction quickly.
For metrics such as CPA, CPL, and common criteria, please contact us.
#8 Paraquat
Paraquat lost some visibility this cycle, and it shows in the rankings. WHii dropped, pointing to less coverage and fewer developments drawing attention. The campaign itself didn’t shift much, with digital channels still carrying the load. However, without the same level of external momentum, it feels quieter than in previous months. It remains present, but not pushing forward in the same way.
CPA: $711
CPL: $320
Common Criteria: Diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease or experiencing Parkinson’s-like symptoms after exposure to Paraquat.
#9 Roblox Child Abuse
The Roblox Child Abuse mass tort pulled back across multiple fronts. TV activity dropped out completely, and WHii declined, reducing overall visibility. Digital channels are still active, but they’re not compensating for the broader decrease. The result is a campaign that feels less aggressive than it did last month. Even so, it holds onto a top ten spot. That suggests underlying demand is still there, even if momentum has slowed.
For metrics such as CPA, CPL, and common criteria, please contact us.
#10 Chemical Hair Straightener
This tort rounds out the top ten without any major swings. It continues to rely on digital channels, with Meta and PPC providing consistent support. Unlike some others, Chemical Hair Straightener is not pushing for maximum saturation. The slightly lower Meta activity suggests a more measured approach. In a tight ranking report, this consistency is enough to bring it back into play.
CPA: $717
CPL: $430
Common Criteria: Diagnosis of uterine cancer: endometrial cancer or uterine sarcoma after use of chemical hair straightener; applied professionally or at-home application; used for at least 2 years AND usage must be at least 4 times per year; not currently a smoker.
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.
