#5 Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas
The City of Brotherly Love’s reputation as a Judicial Hellhole® has spread far and wide, drawing plaintiffs’ lawyers from across
#8 King County & Washington Supreme Court
A newcomer to the list in 2024, King County courts are known for their plaintiff-friendly rulings and liability-expanding approach. The
#1 Los Angeles
California, a perennial Judicial Hellhole®, has appeared on the list almost every year since its inception. While little has improved
#2 New York City
The Big Apple has a big problem — fraud has been allowed to run rampant in its court system. From
#3 South Carolina Asbestos
There is no place in America where defendants experience a litigation environment that is as unbalanced as the South Carolina
#4 Louisiana Coastal Litigation
The lawsuit abuse long plaguing the Bayou State was thrust into the national spotlight in 2025. The U.S. Supreme Court
#6 St. Louis
The Gateway City has become the gateway to lawsuit abuse. St. Louis courts routinely embrace junk science and have become
#7 Cook, Madison & St. Clair Counties, Illinois
This year, St. Clair and Madison Counties rejoin Cook County on the Judicial Hellholes® list. This trio of Illinois counties’
South Carolina Asbestos Litigation
South Carolina’s asbestos environment first landed on the Judicial Hellholes® list in 2020. Since that time, the trial judge who
The Michigan Supreme Court
After appearing in the Judicial Hellholes® report for the first time last year, it appears the Michigan Supreme Court is
Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas and Pennsylvania Supreme Court
Lawsuit abuse in the City of Brotherly Love has reached a fever pitch with nuclear verdicts becoming the norm and
St. Louis
Judges in St. Louis issue plaintiff-friendly rulings and embrace junk science, signaling to plaintiffs’ lawyers across the country, and now
Georgia
Georgia’s civil justice system is plagued by skyrocketing nuclear verdicts®, inflated awards for medical costs, expansive premises liability, and laws
New York City
A “fraudemic” hit the Big Apple in 2024. Some of the worst examples of lawsuit abuse came to light in
Cook County, Illinois
Cook County is home to a disproportionate amount of the state’s litigation and nuclear verdicts®. No-injury litigation, including claims filed
King County, Washington
King County, Washington makes its first ever appearance on the Judicial Hellholes® list thanks to judges’ proclivity for unfair group
California
California is the trial bar’s laboratory. It’s where they go to pursue innovative new theories of liability and push the
Louisiana
Nuclear verdicts® plague the state’s civil justice system, bringing it in line with other Judicial Hellholes®. This year, an auto
St. Louis
Judges in St. Louis seem to have embraced their reputation for skirting both state law and U.S. Supreme Court precedent.
California
The “Golden State” is the plaintiffs’ bar’s laboratory for finding innovative new ways to expand liability through both the courts
Cook County
The prevalence of no-injury lawsuits in Cook County has propelled the county near the top of this year’s list. Litigation
