A person can sue directly in circuit court, with no administrative exhaustion, for injunctive relief and actual damages; 'damages' expressly includes reasonable attorneys' fees (MCL 37.1606(3)). 'Place of public accommodation' is a business of any kind whose goods or services are offered to the public (MCL 37.1301), with no statutory minimum damages. On top of that, the federal ADA applies in Michigan as everywhere: a business that loses or settles a website accessibility suit pays the plaintiff’s attorney’s fees.
The law
The federal baseline
ADA Title III gives a private plaintiff no money damages, but a business that loses or settles pays the plaintiff’s attorney’s fees (42 U.S.C. § 12205 (opens in a new tab)). That fee-shifting is what makes a website claim expensive, in Michigan and everywhere else.
Lawsuits in Michigan
Our lawsuit tracker has indexed 2 federal court records from Michigan. It’s a sample, not a complete count: it covers dockets that say what they’re about.
- Rainbow Sandals, Inc. (opens in a new tab), filed 2026-03
- Orkin, LLC (opens in a new tab), filed 2026-02
Questions
Can a business in Michigan be sued over an inaccessible website?
Yes. The federal ADA applies in every state, and a plaintiff can sue in federal court for an order to fix the site plus attorney's fees. Under Michigan law a person can sue the business directly. We found no court decision applying Michigan law to a website.
What is the minimum a Michigan court awards for a website accessibility violation?
Michigan law sets no fixed minimum per violation. A person can sue directly in circuit court, with no administrative exhaustion, for injunctive relief and actual damages; 'damages' expressly includes reasonable attorneys' fees (MCL 37.1606(3)). 'Place of public accommodation' is a business of any kind whose goods or services are offered to the public (MCL 37.1301), with no statutory minimum damages.
Do I pay the plaintiff's lawyer if I lose or settle in Michigan?
Under the federal ADA, yes: a business that loses or settles usually pays the plaintiff's attorney's fees (42 U.S.C. § 12205). Michigan law also provides for attorney's fees.
Which accessibility standard should a Michigan business website meet?
The ADA doesn't name a technical standard for businesses. The Justice Department's 2022 guidance points to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and its 2024 rule for state and local governments adopted WCAG 2.1 Level AA.