Steal This Newsletter | August 14, 2026

Michael Stanisci
Aug 14
15 min read

By Michael Stanisci | #MassTortMichael | About a 10 minute read

Opening Note

A door only helps you if you walk through it while it is open.

That is the theme this week. In Rhode Island, a two year filing window just opened for survivors of childhood sexual abuse, and dozens of cases were filed on day one. In the social media litigation, a courtroom door is opening in Oakland for one of the biggest trials of the year. In the Uber litigation, the judge just told both sides the first trials did not answer the big questions, so he is redrawing the trial plan. And in the Olympus scope cases, the door to an MDL has not opened yet, which means the ground floor is still the ground floor.

Timing decides who gets help and who gets left out. Let's get into it.

Fast Facts, This Week

Institutional Sex Abuse

Rhode Island's two year revival window for childhood sexual abuse claims opened July 1, 2026 and closes June 30, 2028. [1]
At least 34 lawsuits were filed against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence and related entities on the first day alone. [2]

Medical Devices

There is still no Olympus scope MDL as of this month. Cases are proceeding as individual actions in state and federal courts. [3]

Social Media and Tech Harm

The federal social media addiction MDL grew to 3,137 pending cases as of August 2026. [4]
The state attorneys general bellwether trial against Meta was set to begin around August 6, with four states seeking civil penalties Meta says could exceed one trillion dollars. [5]

Gambling

FanDuel and DraftKings moved to dismiss a Pennsylvania addiction lawsuit in late July, arguing they owe no general duty of care to adult bettors. [6]

Toxic Torts

The AFFF firefighting foam MDL held at 15,244 pending actions per the July 1, 2026 JPML report, with a second bellwether pool of drinking water exposure cases taking shape. [7]

Rideshare

The Uber sexual assault MDL reached 4,397 pending cases, and on July 30 the judge ordered a new bellwether trial plan after the first two trials produced mixed results. [8]

Key Mass Tort Spotlights

1. Rhode Island Institutional Sex Abuse: The Window Is Open

For decades, many Rhode Island survivors were told the same thing. Too late. The deadline passed. Now the state has changed the rules.

Governor Dan McKee signed legislation on June 11, 2026 that opened a two year revival window running from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028. During this window, survivors of childhood sexual abuse can file civil claims no matter when the abuse happened, even if the old deadline expired years ago. The law reaches individual perpetrators and, just as important, the institutions and supervisors accused of enabling, concealing, or negligently supervising abuse. [1]

The push behind this law was the Rhode Island Attorney General's report released March 4, 2026. That report identified approximately 75 clergy members with credible allegations involving more than 300 children between 1950 and 2019, and described patterns where accused clergy were reassigned and complaints were inconsistently reported. [9] On July 1, the first day of the window, at least 34 lawsuits were filed against the Diocese of Providence and churches across the state. [2]

Evaluation snapshot:

Plaintiff Numerosity: The AG report alone documented more than 300 victims. It is believed the true population is larger, since these reports historically undercount. [9]
Defendant Viability: The Diocese of Providence is the primary target, along with schools and religious orders. Watch bankruptcy risk. Other dioceses facing similar waves, like El Paso, have filed Chapter 11. [10]
Financial Viability: Dioceses hold real estate, insurance coverage, and other assets, but a bankruptcy filing would move claims into a claims process. Early filers are best positioned.
Scientific Viability: Not a science driven litigation. These cases turn on records, testimony, and institutional documents.
Time to Resolution: Uncertain. Comparable window states have seen resolutions in roughly three to seven years, often through bankruptcy trusts.
Venue: Rhode Island state courts, with at least one federal complaint filed so far. [2]
Bellwether Results: None yet. Litigation is weeks old.
Daubert/Frye: Not a central issue here.
State of Litigation: Emerging. The filing wave has just begun.

Next steps for attorneys: This is a fixed window. June 30, 2028 is a hard stop, and if a diocese files for bankruptcy, a bar date could arrive even sooner. Rhode Island is a small state, and firms with New England referral relationships should be talking to them now. Intake for these cases requires trauma informed staff. Do not treat these calls like a slip and fall.

Next steps for claimants: If you were abused as a child in Rhode Island, in a church, school, camp, or any institution, the deadline that once blocked your claim may no longer apply. Speaking with a lawyer is free and confidential. You do not have to name your abuser publicly to ask questions.

2. Olympus Scopes: A Second Wave, Still on the Ground Floor

Imagine a medical tool that goes into one patient, gets cleaned, then goes into the next patient. Now imagine the design has tiny crevices that cleaning cannot reliably reach. That is the core allegation against Olympus reusable scopes, and it is producing a second wave of litigation a decade after the first superbug outbreak cases.

Here is what changed. In October 2025, Olympus issued an urgent field safety notice admitting prior cleaning protocols for its current TJF series duodenoscopes were not sufficient, telling hospitals they now need 10x magnification tools to inspect scopes. The notice disclosed two patient deaths and five serious injuries linked to the current generation scopes. [11] The FDA also issued import alerts in 2025 covering dozens of Olympus devices made at facilities in Japan after finding quality system violations. [3] In June, a wrongful death case was filed in federal court in Washington alleging a patient died of a drug resistant infection after an ERCP procedure with a TJF-Q190V scope. [3]

Evaluation snapshot:

Plaintiff Numerosity: Unknown but meaningful. Millions of ERCP and endoscopy procedures happen annually, though only confirmed post procedure infections will qualify. It is our understanding that firms are actively building inventories now.
Defendant Viability: Olympus is a global device giant with a documented history here, including a 2018 guilty plea and an 85 million dollar Department of Justice resolution. [12]
Financial Viability: Solid. Olympus resolved the first wave of cases and remains a well capitalized defendant. [13]
Scientific Viability: Favorable. The FDA and CDC have long documented that the closed channel design can trap bacteria even after proper reprocessing. [13]
Time to Resolution: Early. Figure five or more years for most claims.
Venue: No MDL exists as of August 2026. Cases are individual actions in state and federal courts. Consolidation is possible if filings grow. [14]
Bellwether Results: None in this second wave.
Daubert/Frye: Untested in this wave, but the first wave produced a 6.6 million dollar hospital verdict and government findings that support causation theories. [12]
State of Litigation: Emerging phase, pre MDL.

Next steps for attorneys: The qualifying fact pattern is narrow and record driven. You need the procedure, the device model, and a culture confirmed infection in the days that followed. Hospital infection control records and device serial numbers matter here. Firms that build clean files now will be positioned well if an MDL forms.

Next steps for claimants: If you or a family member developed a serious infection, sepsis, or died shortly after an endoscopic procedure, request the full medical record, including the operative report that identifies the scope used. That one document can make or break a claim.

3. Social Media Addiction: The Biggest Trial of the Year Is Here

The playbook in this litigation keeps repeating. When a trial date gets close, defendants pay.

Snap and TikTok settled before the first California state bellwether in January. Then, in March, a Los Angeles jury returned the first verdict in this litigation, finding Meta and Google liable and awarding 6 million dollars, including 3 million in punitive damages, split 70 percent to Meta and 30 percent to Google. [15] In May, the first federal bellwether, brought by a Kentucky school district, settled on the eve of trial, with reporting placing the combined value near 27 million dollars. [16] TikTok is now finalizing settlements in three more state cases that were set for trial in October. [4]

Now comes the main event. The state attorneys general bellwether against Meta was set to begin around August 6, and Meta has told the court that California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey are seeking civil penalties it calculates at more than one trillion dollars. [5] Meanwhile, the MDL keeps growing, reaching 3,137 pending cases in the Northern District of California before Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. [4]

Evaluation snapshot:

Plaintiff Numerosity: Very high. 3,137 federal cases plus thousands in the California JCCP, roughly 800 school districts, and more than 40 state AGs involved across tracks. [16]
Defendant Viability: Meta, Google, TikTok, and Snap are among the most solvent defendants in litigation history.
Financial Viability: Excellent, which is exactly why the penalty demands are so large.
Scientific Viability: Moderate and improving. The March verdict shows a jury will accept that design features like infinite scroll and algorithmic feeds contributed to harm. [15]
Time to Resolution: Individual injury cases likely resolve in waves over the next two to four years. School district and AG tracks may move faster.
Venue: MDL 3047, Northern District of California, plus JCCP 5255 in Los Angeles. [17]
Bellwether Results: One plaintiff verdict of 6 million dollars in state court. One federal bellwether settled pre trial. A second state case ended in July with the plaintiff dismissing Meta claims after settling with other defendants. [16]
Daubert/Frye: Causation experts survived to trial in the state case, which matters for every case behind it.
State of Litigation: Litigation phase, with settlement behavior clearly emerging from some defendants.

Next steps for attorneys: The settlement pattern is the story. TikTok and Snap have shown they will pay to avoid juries. Individual injury inventories with documented mental health treatment and clear usage histories are the cases gaining value right now. The next school district bellwether is set for February 2027, so institutional clients remain in play too. [5]

Next steps for claimants: Parents, the qualifying pattern is documented harm, meaning diagnosed depression, anxiety, an eating disorder, self harm, or worse, paired with heavy platform use that started as a minor. Save the records. Screen time reports, treatment records, and school records all help.

4. Gambling Addiction: The Duty of Care Question

Every mass tort has a moment where one legal question towers over everything else. For gambling addiction litigation, that moment is now, and the question is simple. Does a sportsbook owe any duty to a customer it knows is drowning?

In Pennsylvania, FanDuel and DraftKings moved to dismiss a lawsuit filed on behalf of two men, arguing state law imposes no general duty on sportsbooks to protect adults from their own lawful betting. One plaintiff lost more than 2 million dollars. The case drew national attention after it surfaced that a FanDuel VIP host arranged a personalized celebrity video from Phillies star Bryce Harper for the plaintiff while he was in the grip of addiction. Harper has said he never consented to that use. [6] Days earlier, a former FanDuel employee filed his own addiction suit against both companies in New Jersey, alleging the platforms used behavioral tracking and personalized promotions to keep him betting despite obvious warning signs. [6]

On the sweepstakes casino side, VGW, the company behind Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots, and Global Poker, continues to face class actions in multiple states alleging its dual currency model is illegal gambling dressed up as a sweepstakes. A federal case in Montana was filed by five plaintiffs from five different states suing on behalf of spouses who lost money on the platforms. [18]

Evaluation snapshot:

Plaintiff Numerosity: Potentially very large. Around 10 percent of American adults have placed a bet through an app, and the harmed population grows every season. [19]
Defendant Viability: FanDuel's parent Flutter and DraftKings are large public companies. VGW generates hundreds of millions annually from US players. [20]
Financial Viability: Strong across defendants.
Scientific Viability: Developing. The behavioral design theory borrows directly from the social media litigation, and the March social media verdict helps the analogy.
Time to Resolution: Long. This litigation is where social media was three years ago. Preliminary reports suggest an MDL is possible but not formed.
Venue: Scattered. State courts in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, federal courts in Montana and elsewhere, plus city suits like Baltimore's. [21]
Bellwether Results: None. No consolidated proceeding exists yet.
Daubert/Frye: Untested for the addiction design theory in this context.
State of Litigation: Emerging phase. The Pennsylvania dismissal ruling will shape everything that follows.

Next steps for attorneys: Watch the Pennsylvania motion. If the court finds a duty of care exists, expect a filing wave and a likely MDL petition. The best current cases involve VIP host contact, documented self exclusion attempts, and large documented losses. Sweepstakes casino claims are a separate track with a consumer recovery angle under state gambling loss statutes.

Next steps for claimants: Preserve everything. Betting histories, deposit records, VIP host messages, and promotional emails. If you tried to slow down and the app pushed back with bonuses, those messages are the heart of a claim.

5. PFAS and AFFF: The Second Bellwether Pool Takes Shape

The AFFF firefighting foam litigation is one of the largest MDLs in the country, and it is quietly building toward its next test.

The numbers first. The official July 1, 2026 JPML report lists 15,244 pending actions in MDL 2873 before Judge Richard Gergel in South Carolina. [7] The water utility side has largely been addressed through historic settlements, including 3M's 10.3 billion dollar agreement and the 1.185 billion dollar DuPont, Chemours, and Corteva deal. Carrier became the fifth defendant to settle, agreeing to pay 540 million dollars to Kidde-Fenwal and 190 million dollars to PFAS plaintiffs. [22]

The personal injury side is the unfinished business. There is still no global settlement for the cancer and disease claims brought by firefighters, military personnel, and residents of contaminated communities. [23] The court is now selecting 28 personal injury claims for a second bellwether pool focused on people exposed through contaminated drinking water rather than direct foam contact, drawing from communities near sites like Peterson Air Force Base and the Colorado Springs Municipal Airport. [24] The previously scheduled personal injury trial came off the calendar, and the next trial date is still being negotiated. [25]

Evaluation snapshot:

Plaintiff Numerosity: Massive. 15,244 pending actions, and a 2023 US Geological Survey estimate found at least 45 percent of US tap water may contain PFAS, so the exposed population is enormous. [26]
Defendant Viability: 3M, DuPont entities, Tyco, BASF, and others. Several have shown they will settle.
Financial Viability: Proven. More than 12 billion dollars has already moved in water system settlements. [22]
Scientific Viability: Strongest for kidney cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid disease, and ulcerative colitis. Weaker claimed injuries face harder Daubert paths.
Time to Resolution: Water cases are paying now. Personal injury resolution is believed to be one to three years out, depending on bellwether outcomes.
Venue: MDL 2873, District of South Carolina, Judge Richard Gergel. [7]
Bellwether Results: No personal injury verdict yet. The first trial date slipped, which is why the second pool matters so much.
Daubert/Frye: The central battlefield. Expert rulings on disease specific causation will define which injuries hold value.
State of Litigation: Late litigation phase for water claims, mid litigation phase for personal injury.

Next steps for attorneys: Injury selection discipline matters more here than almost anywhere. Kidney cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid disease, and ulcerative colitis with documented exposure remain the core. The new drinking water bellwether pool also widens the door beyond firefighters to community exposure cases near bases and airports.

Next steps for claimants: You did not need to wear turnout gear to have a claim. If you lived near a military base, airport, or fire training site and developed one of the linked conditions, your water history is your evidence. Utilities' test results are public records.

6. Rideshare Assault: The Judge Hits Reset

Two trials. Two very different answers. Now the judge wants a new plan.

The first federal bellwether in the Uber sexual assault MDL produced an 8.5 million dollar verdict for an Arizona woman in February. [27] The second, in May, awarded just 5,000 dollars, but it delivered something arguably more valuable. The jury found Uber qualifies as a common carrier, a classification that imposes a heightened duty of care to passengers. [28] With such different outcomes, Judge Charles Breyer directed both sides on July 30 to develop a new bellwether trial plan, saying the first trials did not provide clear answers on Uber's alleged negligence. [29]

The docket keeps growing. As of August 2026, there are 4,397 cases pending in MDL 3084. [8] The third bellwether is set for September 14 and involves allegations that Uber rehired a driver despite an outstanding arrest warrant before he allegedly raped a passenger in 2022. [30] In the meantime, Uber quietly changed its terms of service in July to require users who sue to disclose litigation funding agreements, and in March it rolled out a feature letting women riders request women drivers. [29]

Evaluation snapshot:

Plaintiff Numerosity: High and climbing. 4,397 federal cases plus hundreds more in the California JCCP. Reporting has indicated Uber receives a sexual assault or misconduct report roughly every eight minutes. [28]
Defendant Viability: Uber is profitable and deeply reputation sensitive.
Financial Viability: Excellent. Uber deposited funds in March to resolve an unspecified group of cases, showing money is moving. [27]
Scientific Viability: Not science driven. These cases turn on Uber's screening, complaint handling, and safety decisions.
Time to Resolution: The common carrier finding and the settlement fund activity suggest meaningful resolution talks within one to two years, though this is an educated estimate.
Venue: MDL 3084, Northern District of California, Judge Charles Breyer, plus the San Francisco JCCP. [28]
Bellwether Results: Mixed. 8.5 million dollars, then 5,000 dollars, and a reset trial plan. [29]
Daubert/Frye: Limited role. Evidentiary fights center on Uber's internal data and lobbying, not epidemiology.
State of Litigation: Deep litigation phase with early settlement activity.

Next steps for attorneys: The common carrier finding raises the floor for every case in the pool. Documented reports to Uber, driver history evidence, and police involvement remain the value drivers. The September 14 trial, with its rehired driver fact pattern, is the one to watch for institutional knowledge evidence.

Next steps for claimants: Survivors, your in app trip record is preserved evidence. Reports made to Uber, to police, or to a hospital all strengthen a claim, but the absence of a police report does not disqualify you. These consultations are confidential.

A Word From This Week's Sponsor

Every litigation in this edition has the same bottleneck. Reaching the injured person who has no idea a case exists. That is a media problem before it is a legal problem.

That is why I work with CASE Legal Media. They build claimant acquisition campaigns for mass tort dockets, and they understand the difference between a lead and a signed, qualified claimant. If your firm is building inventory in any of the litigations covered this week, especially Rhode Island abuse claims or rideshare assault, where the ads must be handled with real care and dignity, I am happy to make a warm introduction. Just reply to this email or reach out directly, and I will connect you with their team at caselegalmedia.com.

Practical Outreach Angles This Week

If your firm handled clergy or institutional abuse cases anywhere in New England, your closed files may contain Rhode Island connections. A respectful letter about the new window is a service, not a solicitation, when done within your bar rules.
GI and infectious disease referral relationships are the fastest path to Olympus scope claimants. Hospital infection control departments know exactly which outbreaks happened.
Family law and bankruptcy colleagues see gambling destruction before anyone else. Educate them on what a viable claim looks like.
Municipal water clients and union relationships, especially fire unions, remain the most trusted channels for PFAS outreach.
Past clients are still the cheapest list you own. A plain language note covering these six updates will surface claims you did not know your book contained.

From Michael

I keep coming back to the Rhode Island number. Thirty four lawsuits on day one. Some of those survivors waited fifty years for a door to open. When it finally did, they walked through it within hours.

That tells me something I already believed. The people we serve are not sitting on the sidelines because they do not care. They are sitting there because nobody told them the door was open. Our job, all of us in this industry, is to tell them. Plainly, honestly, and without hype.

Thanks for reading. Forward this to a person who needs it.