How Many Court Cases Are Filed Each Year In U.S. Courts?

Caseloads can tell you about litigation habits and court backlogs. Learn how many court cases are filed each year in U.S. state and federal courts.

July 30, 2024 Read in 3 mins

Data

Summary

After a drastic drop in court filings in 2020, case numbers are increasing

The majority of cases are filed in state rather than federal courts

The total volume of court filings is sensitive to external factors

Court Cases by the Numbers

Plaintiffs filed 65.5 million new court cases in 2022. However, this number only tells part of the story about how many court cases are filed each year. Take a closer look at key U.S. lawsuit trends and figures from 2012 to 2022.

How Many Court Cases Are Filed Each Year in the United States?

Starting in 2012, the United States recorded an incredibly high number of court cases, totaling approximately 97,608,000 cases across state and federal courts. Over the next few years, there was a gradual decline in total cases. By 2013, this number slightly decreased to 95,887,000 before falling annually, reaching 84,643,000 by 2017.

Peak Years and Subsequent Declines

The high number of court cases in 2012 can be linked to several factors. After a recession, lawsuit numbers tend to rebound due to contract issues, bankruptcies, and other money-related disputes.

However, as the economy got better, the number of cases started to drop, flattening in 2017. When times are good, the number of bankruptcies and evictions tends to fall.

Significant Changes in 2020 and Beyond

A dramatic shift occurred in 2020, when total cases dropped to 61,510,000, largely due to the global COVID-19 pandemic disrupting court operations nationwide. Many courts and law firms shut down, handling only critical matters.

By 2021, there was a recovery to 64,322,000 cases, and in 2022, the number rose to 65,543,000. Surprisingly, court filings did not immediately return to pre-pandemic levels. Instead, the numbers have grown slowly. However, it is still too early to say whether the lower levels represent a new normal or if numbers will eventually rise and stabilize at or above the prior plateau.

If cases plateau at the current levels, courts may finally be able to work through the case backlogs and reduce pendency times. Remember that most lawsuits end with settlements, so many of the 65.5 million new cases will never go to trial.

State vs. Federal Case Dynamics

Number of Filed State and Federal Court Cases, 2014-2022

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Source: National Center for State Courts

Most of the cases in the United States are filed in state courts, consistently accounting for over 98% of the total caseload. For example, in 2022, state courts handled 64,778,000 cases compared to 765,000 in federal courts.

This could be because federal courts have narrower jurisdictional grounds and are not as accessible as state courts. On the other hand, federal courts often streamline product liability lawsuits using their multidistrict litigation (MDL) process that gathers cases from across the nation into a single geographic district.

The MDL parties can share evidence and cooperate on motions. This process has similar benefits to filing a class action.

Learn More About Case Volumes From ConsumerShield

Pendency times and, ultimately, the quality of the legal system depend on how many court cases are filed each year. However, you should not forgo protecting your legal rights simply because courts are busy. ConsumerShield helps people understand their rights and find lawyers to help with their cases. Contact us for a free case evaluation.