The number of new federal lawsuits dropped by 14% in the 2024 fiscal year, a stark contrast to the litigation boom seen in previous years. A primary driver of this decline was 3M’s $6 billion settlement over combat earplug claims, marking the resolution of the largest mass tort case in U.S. history.
According to a report from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, the overall volume of criminal and civil filings fell by 11% for the fiscal year ending September 30. The most dramatic drop came in personal injury cases, which plummeted by 41% to just under 70,000. Excluding mass torts, civil litigation remained largely unchanged.
Meanwhile, criminal cases saw a 6% increase, largely fueled by a surge in immigration-related prosecutions, which accounted for over a third of all criminal filings. Drug-related cases, however, saw an 8% decline.
The ripple effects of 3M’s settlement were particularly evident in Florida’s Northern District, where new personal injury cases fell by 50% following the resolution of nearly 260,000 lawsuits brought by military service members. New Jersey’s federal courts, which handle Johnson & Johnson’s talc-related litigation, recorded an even steeper decline of 65%. J&J continues to push for a $10 billion bankruptcy plan to resolve claims alleging its baby powder caused ovarian cancer, allegations the company denies.
Beyond 3M and J&J, Illinois courts also saw a 69% drop in product liability cases, primarily due to a decline in litigation over hair relaxer products manufactured by L’Oréal USA and Revlon. The companies reject claims that their products cause cancer.
The sharp reduction in mass tort filings marks a significant shift from the previous year, when a wave of lawsuits tied to consumer product claims pushed federal case numbers higher. With major settlements reshaping the legal landscape, federal courts are seeing a return to more typical litigation levels.
