Washington social media addiction lawsuit
Families in Washington are holding Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube responsible for harm to their children, one case at a time. Here is who may qualify, how Washington cases are filed, and the deadline that applies.
Quick answer
Washington 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 Washington, an injury claim generally must be filed within 3 years; if the injured person was under 18 when the claim arose, the time before their 18th birthday does not count toward the deadline. A free review checks your family’s deadline.
Who may qualify in Washington
- The child lives or lived in Washington 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
Washington filing deadlines
| Personal injury / product liability | 3 years | A personal injury lawsuit generally must be filed within 3 years. Product liability claims must be filed within 3 years from when the injured person discovered, or reasonably should have discovered, the harm and its cause. | RCW 4.16.080(2); RCW 7.72.060(3) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Injured as a minor | — | If the injured person was under 18 when the claim arose, the time before their 18th birthday does not count toward the deadline. | RCW 4.16.190 |
| Wrongful death | 3 years | A wrongful death lawsuit generally must be filed within 3 years. | RCW 4.16.080(2) |
| Product liability outer limit (repose) | — | There is no fixed cutoff. But a seller is generally not liable for harm after a product's 'useful safe life' ends, and harm more than 12 years after delivery is presumed to be past that point. The family can try to prove otherwise. | RCW 7.72.060(1)-(2) |
Read on the official RCW site. RCW 7.72.060(3) builds the discovery rule into the product statute and makes it subject to the tolling provisions of chapter 4.16 RCW. The 12-year rule is a rebuttable presumption, not a true statute of repose, so productRepose describes it rather than leaving the field blank. Washington has no wrongful-death-specific limitations statute. The 3-year period comes from courts applying RCW 4.16.080(2), not from statute text naming wrongful death, so wdCite is medium confidence.
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 Washington cases are filed
This is not a class action. A Washington 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 Washington has done
Washington's attorney general joined the joint federal lawsuit against Meta filed in federal court in Northern California (N.D. Cal.) on October 24, 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 Washington. Cases for Washington 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 Washington families
Is there a class action for Washington families?
No. Each child’s claim is filed individually. Federal cases from every state, including Washington, 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 Washington?
A personal injury lawsuit generally must be filed within 3 years. Product liability claims must be filed within 3 years from when the injured person discovered, or reasonably should have discovered, the harm and its cause. If the injured person was under 18 when the claim arose, the time before their 18th birthday does not count toward the deadline.
What if my child died?
A wrongful death lawsuit generally must be filed within 3 years.
Didn’t Washington already sue Meta?
Washington's attorney general joined the joint federal lawsuit against Meta filed in federal court in Northern California (N.D. Cal.) on October 24, 2023. That case is brought by the state. It is separate from a family’s own claim for its child.
Do I need a Washington 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.