Maryland social media addiction lawsuit
Families in Maryland are holding Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube responsible for harm to their children, one case at a time. Here is who may qualify, how Maryland cases are filed, and the deadline that applies.
Quick answer
Maryland families can bring individual claims, not a class action, against Meta, TikTok, Snap and Google (YouTube) when a child was harmed after heavy use before 18. In Maryland, an injury claim generally must be filed within 3 years; if the injured person was a minor when the claim arose, the 3-year clock starts when they turn 18, so they generally have until age 21. A free review checks your family’s deadline.
Who may qualify in Maryland
- The child lives or lived in Maryland and used Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat or YouTube regularly before 18
- The child developed depression, anxiety, an eating disorder, self-harm, sleep problems or another serious harm
- No diagnosis? 20 or more hours a week on one platform before 18 may support an exposure claim
- Families of a young person who died by suicide after heavy social media use
- An adult contacted the child through a platform and pressured, threatened or exploited them
Maryland filing deadlines
| Personal injury / product liability | 3 years | Most injury claims, including claims that a product caused harm, must be filed within 3 years. | Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-101 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Injured as a minor | — | If the injured person was a minor when the claim arose, the 3-year clock starts when they turn 18, so they generally have until age 21. | Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-201 |
| Wrongful death | 3 years | A wrongful death claim must be filed within 3 years of the death. | Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 3-904(g) |
§ 5-201 also covers wrongful death claims under Title 3, Subtitle 9, and gives a minor the lesser of 3 years or the normal period after turning 18. § 3-904(g) has special rules for workplace occupational disease and concealed homicide. No product-specific outer time limit found. All text was read on the official Maryland General Assembly site.
These are the general rules in the statutes. Courts apply exceptions, and which rule applies depends on the facts, so a lawyer should confirm your family’s deadline. This is general information, not legal advice.
How Maryland cases are filed
This is not a class action. A Maryland family’s claim is filed in the child’s name. Federal cases from every state are grouped in MDL No. 3047 in Northern California so evidence and pre-trial rulings are shared; about 3,800 were pending in October 2026. Some cases are filed in state court instead. The lawyers decide with your family where your case belongs.
A Maryland school district, Harford County Public Schools, was chosen as one of six school-district test (bellwether) cases in the national federal social media case.
What Maryland has done
On October 24, 2023, Maryland's attorney general joined the multistate lawsuit against Meta in federal court in Northern California (U.S. District Court, N.D. Cal.).
Lawsuits and laws by the state are separate from a family’s own claim. They do not file or replace a claim for your child.
Who handles your case
Grove and Associates PLC is a Michigan law firm with its only office in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Its responsible attorney, Justin Grove, is licensed in Michigan only and is not licensed in Maryland. Cases for Maryland families are handled together with co-counsel admitted in the court where the case is filed. You will know every lawyer involved, and how the fee is shared, before you sign anything.
Common questions from Maryland families
Is there a class action for Maryland families?
No. Each child’s claim is filed individually. Federal cases from every state, including Maryland, are grouped in MDL No. 3047 in Northern California so evidence and pre-trial rulings are shared, but each claim stays the family’s own.
What is the deadline to file in Maryland?
Most injury claims, including claims that a product caused harm, must be filed within 3 years. If the injured person was a minor when the claim arose, the 3-year clock starts when they turn 18, so they generally have until age 21.
What if my child died?
A wrongful death claim must be filed within 3 years of the death.
Didn’t Maryland already sue Meta?
On October 24, 2023, Maryland's attorney general joined the multistate lawsuit against Meta in federal court in Northern California (U.S. District Court, N.D. Cal.). That case is brought by the state. It is separate from a family’s own claim for its child.
Do I need a Maryland lawyer?
Your family works with Grove and Associates PLC, a Michigan firm, and co-counsel admitted in the court where your case is filed. You will know every lawyer involved, and how the fee is shared, before you sign anything.
Does it cost anything?
No. The review is free and confidential. If you hire the firm, the lawyers are paid only from a recovery under a written contingency fee agreement.