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Trial courts in and around Los Angeles have heavier civil caseloads than ever, driven in large part by consumer collections, “Lemon Law” claims, and labor disputes.
Litigators have had their hands full in and around Los Angeles. According to data from Lex Machina, the LexisNexis Legal Analytics platform, 2024 saw a significant jump in civil filings across both state and federal courts in the region. The Superior Courts for Los Angeles and Orange Counties each recorded more new civil lawsuits in 2024 than in any year since at least 2016 — and possibly ever. A similar trend played out at the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, which logged more new civil cases in 2024 than in any year since at least 2009, marking a potential all-time high.
The boom has been driven primarily by three categories of disputes that continue to dominate the civil dockets in Los Angeles: consumer collection cases, “Lemon Law” claims under California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, and employment litigation. Each reflects broader economic and social dynamics, from rising living costs to shifting labor markets. As of late 2025, these trends show no signs of slowing, suggesting that Los Angeles will remain one of the most active litigation hubs in the nation in 2026 and beyond.
Consumer Collections Lawsuits
In 2024, consumer debt collectors filed over 112,000 new lawsuits in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, a figure more than 40% greater than the preceding year. Comparable record-high totals were also observed in Orange County.[1]
Although economic pressures undoubtedly play a role, automation and artificial intelligence have likely accelerated this growth as well. According to a June 2025 report from the National Center for State Courts, the rise in contract-type lawsuits (including debt suits) is likely linked to the proliferation of technological tools that make it easier for collectors to file and pursue high volumes of lawsuits.
“Lemon Law” Claims
The Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act serves as California’s comprehensive lemon law, providing extensive protections for consumers who purchase defective vehicles. Kim v. Airstream, Inc., 113 Cal. App. 5th 201, 335 Cal. Rptr. 3d 363 (2025). The Act regulates warranty terms, imposes service and repair obligations on manufacturers, distributors, and retailers who make express warranties, requires disclosure of specified information in express warranties, and broadens a buyer’s remedies to include costs, attorney fees, and civil penalties. Carver v. Volkswagen Grp. of Am., Inc., 107 Cal. App. 5th 864, 328 Cal. Rptr. 3d 527 (2024).
Since 2021, Song-Beverly litigation has surged in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. Plaintiffs filed more than 17,000 lemon law claims there in 2024, a greater than threefold increase from 2021.
It’s not just the superior courts – more consumer protection lawsuits launched in the Central District of California in 2024 than in any year since at least 2009, with case filings in 2025 already having surpassed that record months ago. This wave underscores both California’s strong consumer protections and evolving market conditions that continue to generate high volumes of claims.
Labor & Employment Disputes
In the Los Angeles County Superior Court alone in 2024, plaintiffs filed more than 8,600 employment-law actions. That was a year-over-year increase of over 17% and the highest annual total since at least 2016. Plaintiffs also filed record numbers of employment lawsuits in 2024 in the Superior Court of Orange County.
Similarly, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, more labor and employment lawsuits launched in 2024 than any year since at least 2009. What’s more, as of late 2025, filings in both courts are on track to break these records again.
Conclusions
Los Angeles-area courts are experiencing historic levels of civil litigation, driven by debt collections, consumer protection claims, and workplace disputes. With economic pressures and technological innovation contributing to this momentum, the region’s litigators should expect another demanding year ahead.
Civil litigation in other practice areas has not mirrored the sustained growth seen in consumer collections, Lemon Law claims, or labor disputes. Vehicular torts and other injury claims have fluctuated significantly over the past decade across the Superior Courts of Los Angeles and Orange Counties, as well as the federal Central District of California. The same holds true for disputes involving real estate, commercial contracts, intellectual property, and cases brought under the California Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA), all of which have risen and fallen in varying cycles.
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[1] “Debt collection lawsuits almost invariably are filed in state courts.” Suesz v. Med-1 Solutions, LLC, 757 F.3d 636 (7th Cir. 2014) (quoting Fed. Trade Comm’n, Repairing a Broken System: Protecting Consumers in Debt Collection Litigation and Arbitration 6 (2010)).
