Vermont social media addiction lawsuit
Families in Vermont are holding Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube responsible for harm to their children, one case at a time. Here is who may qualify, how Vermont cases are filed, and the deadline that applies.
Quick answer
Vermont 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 Vermont, an injury claim generally must be filed within 3 years; if the injured person was a minor when the claim arose, they get the full normal filing period after they reach adulthood. The statute sets no cap. A free review checks your family’s deadline.
Who may qualify in Vermont
- The child lives or lived in Vermont 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
Vermont filing deadlines
| Personal injury / product liability | 3 years | A personal injury lawsuit must be filed within 3 years from the date the injury was discovered. | 12 V.S.A. § 512(4) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Injured as a minor | — | If the injured person was a minor when the claim arose, they get the full normal filing period after they reach adulthood. The statute sets no cap. | 12 V.S.A. § 551(a) |
| Wrongful death | 2 years | A wrongful death lawsuit must be filed within 2 years from when the death was discovered. Longer periods apply where the death is linked to a homicide. | 14 V.S.A. § 1492(a) |
Read on the official Vermont Legislature site, which labels its online text unofficial. The 3-year personal injury period is the chapter's general rule. § 512(4) says that injury-to-the-person claims accrue on the date the injury is discovered. Wrongful death: two years from discovery of the death, or 7 years where there is probable cause to charge homicide (§ 1492). No product liability statute of repose was found.
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 Vermont cases are filed
This is not a class action. A Vermont 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 Vermont has done
Vermont's attorney general filed her own lawsuit against Meta, over Instagram's harm to teens, in Vermont Superior Court on October 24, 2023, separate from the joint federal case.
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 Vermont. Cases for Vermont 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 Vermont families
Is there a class action for Vermont families?
No. Each child’s claim is filed individually. Federal cases from every state, including Vermont, 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 Vermont?
A personal injury lawsuit must be filed within 3 years from the date the injury was discovered. If the injured person was a minor when the claim arose, they get the full normal filing period after they reach adulthood. The statute sets no cap.
What if my child died?
A wrongful death lawsuit must be filed within 2 years from when the death was discovered. Longer periods apply where the death is linked to a homicide.
Didn’t Vermont already sue Meta?
Vermont's attorney general filed her own lawsuit against Meta, over Instagram's harm to teens, in Vermont Superior Court on October 24, 2023, separate from the joint federal case. That case is brought by the state. It is separate from a family’s own claim for its child.
Do I need a Vermont 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.