Demand letters quote statutory maximums. Settlements happen somewhere else. This page collects what's publicly reported for the most common money demands — with the source and sample size next to every number.
The largest volume category. Most letters come from a handful of firms and settle before a complaint is answered.
| State | Cases | Share |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 1,108 | |
| Florida | 950 | |
| California | 787 | |
| Illinois | 576 | |
| All other states | 527 |
Source: EcomBack, 2025 ADA Website Lawsuit Report (Jan 2026). Not Kashtab data.
Sources: Accessible.org settlement guidance; EcomBack 2025 report. Not Kashtab data.
A range is not a price. What moves a number, up or down:
Public figures for the other categories the letter reader recognizes. Sources on each card.
Where documented claims commonly settle. Initial demands run $1,500–$20,000 per image, often 3–5× the real license fee; ~80% resolve without a court filing; unanswered letters escalate 30–50%. Registration before the alleged use is what unlocks statutory damages — ask for the certificate.
Sources: PicDefense & Heitner Legal guides to Higbee / Pixsy demand letters (2026); 17 U.S.C. §§ 412, 504.
The figure letters multiply. No public settlement dataset exists yet; defense firms report outcomes from reduced payments to withdrawn demands when a business answers with documentation (consent banner, tool configuration, the visitor's own actions). Courts remain split on whether ordinary analytics are a "pen register".
Sources: Cal. Penal Code §§ 631, 638.51; defense-firm client alerts 2025–2026.
62% of surveyed freelancers lost income to nonpayment; fewer than 1% used legal remedies. New York ($800+), California ($250+) and Illinois ($500+) require written contracts and 30-day payment for freelance work, with double damages available.
Sources: Freelancers Union / Authors Guild survey (2022); NY, CA, IL freelance worker protection laws; NCSC.
California: 21 days. Bad-faith withholding penalties: up to 2× the deposit (CA), 3× + $100 (TX), 3× (MA). Move-in / move-out photos and the itemized statement decide most cases; small claims is the venue and lawyers are often not allowed.
Sources: Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.5; Tex. Prop. Code § 92.109; Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186 § 15B.
Arizona 90, Colorado 30–45, Florida 60–120, Georgia 90, Texas 60 days: the contractor gets to inspect and offer a repair before a lawsuit. The repair schedule, not cash, is often the term that settles it. A lien threat has its own notice deadlines and is not a judgment.
Sources: Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 12-1363; Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-20-803.5; Fla. Stat. § 558.004; Ga. Code § 8-2-35; Tex. Prop. Code ch. 27.
Which is why lawyers rarely make economic sense on either side. Some states reward early reasonable offers — in Massachusetts a written tender within 30 days of a consumer demand can cap recovery. Writing down your own weak points before negotiating raises settlement rates in experiments.
Sources: NCSC Civil Justice Initiative; Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 93A § 9; Babcock, Loewenstein & Issacharoff (1997).
Every sealed offer that resolves in a room becomes one anonymous data point: category, state, gap between the two limits, which non-cash terms bridged it, how many rounds. Never the parties, never the amounts themselves.
Nothing published. Not even a hint.
Labeled "early" — a range only, with the n shown.
A median with the n, updated as matters close. No ranges dressed up as precision.
Paste it and get these numbers matched to your letter — with your deadline and the amount pulled out.