If you’ve watched daytime television in the past decade, you’ve seen the ads. “If you or a loved one…” followed by a drug name, a device, or a contamination site. What you’re witnessing is one of the most sophisticated marketing operations in legal services: mass tort advertising.
The Scale of the Machine
The numbers are staggering. For a deep dive on how streaming fits into this picture, see our complete mass tort CTV advertising guide.
Over the past 20 years, TV advertising by lawyers and legal service providers has tripled to about $1.2 billion annually. The number of TV ads rose from about 3 million in 2005 to over 16.4 million in 2023. That is roughly 45,000 ads per day.
Mass tort campaigns consume a disproportionate share of this spend. An analysis of five major mass torts (Roundup, talc, hernia mesh, 3M earplugs, and others) found plaintiffs’ firms and aggregators purchased $400 million in TV ads at critical litigation points.
In 2022 alone, Camp Lejeune TV ads exceeded $111 million, more than double asbestos spending that year and more than any single mass tort topic had ever generated.
How Mass Tort Advertising Works
The Triggering Event
Mass tort advertising follows a predictable pattern:
Mass Tort Advertising Pattern
Regulatory Alert or Study
FDA warning, academic research, or media investigation creates awareness and legal pathway.
Early TV/Digital Ads
First movers test the waters with aggregator-led campaigns in targeted markets.
Spike After Verdict/Settlement Rumors
Success breeds advertising. Verdicts validate litigation and trigger spending explosion.
Sustained Campaigns
Scale up claimant acquisition as firms race to build inventory before settlement.
Tapering as Settlements Mature
Advertising economics change, spending moderates, and residual campaigns target late filers.
The Players
Mass tort advertising isn’t just law firms. The ecosystem includes:
Lead generators and aggregators. Companies that run advertising, collect claimants, and sell or refer cases to handling firms. They often finance multi-million dollar TV buys.
Litigation funders. Third-party investors who finance plaintiff acquisition and litigation costs in exchange for a share of settlements. The global market reached $16 billion in 2024.
Handling firms. The actual law firms that prosecute cases. They may buy inventory from aggregators or run their own advertising.
Intake and processing operations. Call centers, medical record services, and contract processing that qualify and prepare claimants.
The Economics
Why spend $100+ million on advertising? Because the math works.
Mass tort settlements can range from $60,000 to $300,000+ per case depending on the tort and injury severity. With contingency fees, each case represents significant revenue.
| Tort | Industry Benchmark CPA | Settlement Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| PFAS | $3,000 | $75K-$175K | Strong economics |
| NEC Formula | $4,000 | $100K-$300K | Very strong |
| Hair Relaxer | $4,500 | $75K-$125K | Early stage |
| Hernia Mesh | $3,800 | $60K-$80K | Tighter margins |
| Camp Lejeune | $6,500 | $100K-$175K | Mature |
| Asbestos Lung | $7,500 | $90K-$185K | Established |
| Paraquat | $9,950 | $105K-$250K | Premium cases |
These represent typical industry acquisition costs. Optimized campaigns with better targeting, creative, and intake processes can meaningfully outperform these benchmarks.
The Major Campaigns
Asbestos/Mesothelioma: The Original
Asbestos advertising is the longest-running mass tort campaign, generating nearly $580 million in advertising spend over the past decade, more than any other single topic.
The “if you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma” spots saturate daytime and cable TV, targeting older demographics most likely to have exposure history.
Camp Lejeune: The Gold Rush
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 created a new mass tort overnight. Advertising spending immediately exploded to $111+ million in TV ads in 2022, with total TV plus social media exceeding $145 million.
Before the law passed, Camp Lejeune cases could be acquired for approximately $1,000 per claimant. After advertising surged, prices rose to $5,000+ per case, a 5x increase driven by competition.
Roundup: Settlement Dynamics
Roundup advertising spiked around litigation events. After an initial California verdict of $289 million in August 2018, plaintiffs’ lawyers bought 281 Roundup ads just before the verdict, then 3,503 additional spots later that month.
Monthly spending peaked at $18.3 million in August 2019 when rumors circulated about an $8 billion Bayer settlement.
The Litigation Funding Connection
Behind mass tort advertising is a sophisticated financing infrastructure:
Third-Party Litigation Funding
The global TPLF market reached $16 billion in 2024. These funds invest in plaintiff acquisition and litigation, providing capital that law firms might not have on their own balance sheets.
This funding enables:
- Larger TV buys than any single firm could afford
- Portfolio approaches across multiple torts
- Longer time horizons for settlement cycles
Regulatory Scrutiny
At least 12 states and 2 other jurisdictions are considering TPLF disclosure requirements. Insurers attribute part of “social inflation,” including rising claim frequency and settlement expectations, to heavy mass tort advertising.
What This Means for PI Firms
Mass tort advertising represents both opportunity and competition:
The Competition
When $100+ million floods into Camp Lejeune ads, every PI firm in America sees those spots. Claimants may contact you about mass tort even if that’s not your focus. Understanding the landscape helps you respond.
The Opportunity
Some PI firms participate in mass tort through:
- Co-counsel arrangements with handling firms
- Direct participation in promising torts
- Referral relationships with mass tort specialists
The Differentiation
For traditional PI firms focused on auto accidents, slip and falls, and other single-event injuries, mass tort advertising creates noise. Differentiating your practice by emphasizing personal attention versus mass processing can be a positioning advantage.
The Future
Mass tort advertising will continue evolving:
Emerging torts. Hair relaxer, PFAS, NEC formula, and Tylenol represent the next wave of advertising opportunities.
Channel shifts. CTV and streaming are increasingly used alongside traditional TV, especially for younger demographics.
Regulatory pressure. Bar rules and TPLF disclosure requirements may affect how campaigns are structured.
Economic pressure. Rising acquisition costs and settlement uncertainty in some torts may moderate spending in certain categories.