Montana social media addiction lawsuit
Families in Montana are holding Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube responsible for harm to their children, one case at a time. Here is who may qualify, how Montana cases are filed, and the deadline that applies.
Quick answer
Montana 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 Montana, an injury claim generally must be filed within 3 years; if the injured person was a minor when the claim arose, the time they are a minor does not count. The clock generally starts at 18. A free review checks your family’s deadline.
Who may qualify in Montana
- The child lives or lived in Montana 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
Montana filing deadlines
| Personal injury / product liability | 3 years | Most injury claims, including product liability, must be filed within 3 years. | Mont. Code Ann. § 27-2-204(1) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Injured as a minor | — | If the injured person was a minor when the claim arose, the time they are a minor does not count. The clock generally starts at 18. | Mont. Code Ann. § 27-2-401(1) |
| Wrongful death | 3 years | A wrongful death claim must be filed within 3 years, or 10 years if the death resulted from a homicide. | Mont. Code Ann. § 27-2-204(2) |
Discovery rule in the statute: the clock does not start until the injury is discovered (or should have been) if the facts are by nature concealed or self-concealing, or if the defendant acted to prevent discovery (Mont. Code Ann. § 27-2-102(3)). § 27-2-204 was amended in 2025 (Ch. 709), and that version took effect Oct. 1, 2026. It adds an exception for one unrelated type of claim (§ 27-2-219) and leaves the 3-year rule unchanged. Minor tolling has no stated cap. We found no product statute of repose.
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 Montana cases are filed
This is not a class action. A Montana 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.
What Montana has done
Montana did not join the joint case. Attorney General Austin Knudsen filed Montana's own lawsuit against Meta in the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana, announced December 4, 2023.
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 Montana. Cases for Montana 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 Montana families
Is there a class action for Montana families?
No. Each child’s claim is filed individually. Federal cases from every state, including Montana, 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 Montana?
Most injury claims, including product liability, must be filed within 3 years. If the injured person was a minor when the claim arose, the time they are a minor does not count. The clock generally starts at 18.
What if my child died?
A wrongful death claim must be filed within 3 years, or 10 years if the death resulted from a homicide.
Didn’t Montana already sue Meta?
Montana did not join the joint case. Attorney General Austin Knudsen filed Montana's own lawsuit against Meta in the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana, announced December 4, 2023. That case is brought by the state. It is separate from a family’s own claim for its child.
Do I need a Montana 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.