Saying America’s Fourth of July traditions are under attack from lawsuits, a national consumer group is warning families the celebration is increasingly at the mercy of billboard lawyers and litigation.
Protecting American Consumers Together (PACT) says, across the country, community fireworks shows are being threatened, scaled back or shut down by repeat plaintiffs and litigation groups. At the same time, PACT says personal injury law firms are advertising about turning backyard celebrations into payouts by reminding hosts that the moment they invite guests over or light a fuse, they may be opening themselves up to liability.
“On our nation’s 250th Birthday, the Fourth of July should be about family, freedom and celebrating this country, not about lawsuits wiping a town’s fireworks show off the calendar or billboard lawyers circling your backyard,” PACT Executive Director Lauren Zelt said. “When a handful of lawsuits can cancel a celebration that thousands of families look forward to all year, and when law firms openly advertise to turn a sparkler burn into a payday, it’s clear America’s lawsuit culture doesn’t take a holiday.
“Communities deserve to celebrate Independence Day without a legal ambush.”
Here are a few examples of lawsuits filed over fireworks:
In Lake Tahoe on the Nevada-California border, a Zephyr Cove couple sued the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority under the Clean Water Act claiming the 30-year-old July 4th and Labor Day shows polluted the lake. Facing the threat of up to $75 million in claimed fines, the authority voted to cancel the shows entirely if the case was not settled by a deadline, before reaching an agreement to keep them alive.
At SeaWorld San Diego, after environmental groups sued the park under the Clean Water Act in 2025 over fireworks debris in Mission Bay, SeaWorld agreed to replace its fireworks with drone shows. The groups themselves said the lawsuit was instrumental in forcing the switch.
And in Athens, Tennessee, a resident’s pending lawsuit against the city over a prior event was cited as the reason the city initially canceled its July 4th fireworks, billed the year before as the largest in East Tennessee.
An in a recent $290,000 South Carolina case, a firm announced the settlement was paid through a homeowner’s insurance policy for a guest injured by a mortar firework at a backyard Independence Day party. The firm reminded potential clients “a serious fireworks injury may be covered by a homeowner’s insurance policy.”
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates fireworks were involved in nearly 15,000 emergency room treated injuries in 2024, with about two-thirds occurring in the weeks surrounding the Fourth of July.
And to the trial bar, PACT says every one of those is a potential client.
One Texas firm warns hosts can be held liable for “a lack of proper supervision or recklessly placing the fireworks” and even for not having “first responders on standby.”
A California firm advertises that “if you attended a get-together at another person’s home and you were injured on their property, they might be held liable for your injuries.”
Another firm tells potential clients that “even if you are partly responsible for the accident that caused your injury you may be entitled to recover compensation,” encouraging claims regardless of who actually struck the match.
PACT urges everyone to be careful with fireworks:
If you do use fireworks, follow the safety basics. Designate a sober adult to handle them, keep a bucket of water or a hose nearby, keep spectators back, and never relight a “dud.”Inspect your property before guests arrive. Clear tripping hazards, secure cords and rugs, light walkways, and keep pool decks and stairs dry.Check your insurance coverage. Make sure your homeowner’s or renter’s liability policy is up to date before hosting a gathering.
“Independence Day should be spent celebrating the country, not worrying about a lawsuit,” Zelt said. “But as long as litigation chips away at public celebrations and lawyers aggressively advertise for holiday-related claims, families and communities must stay vigilant.”
