Attorney Michael Rehm — (800) 978-0754
Attorney Michael Rehm represents children and families harmed by addictive video game design throughout San Jose and California. The video game addiction litigation is distinct from — though related to — the social media harm cases. Where the social media lawsuits focus primarily on algorithmic content recommendation and social comparison features, the video game addiction cases focus on game mechanics specifically engineered to create compulsive play patterns in minors: loot boxes, in-game currency systems, daily login rewards, battle passes, and streak mechanics that exploit the same psychological reward loops implicated in gambling addiction.
The Legal Theory
The lawsuits against video game publishers allege that companies including Electronic Arts, Activision, and others deliberately designed their games with features known to create compulsive use patterns, particularly in developing adolescent brains, and did so without adequate disclosure to parents or guardians. The legal theories include product liability for defective design, negligence, and consumer protection violations. One of the defective design theories holds that a game engineered to create compulsive behavior in children is a defective product — it does not perform as safely as ordinary consumers would expect, and the risks of its design outweigh its utility.
Electronic Arts is headquartered in Redwood City. Roblox is in San Mateo. Several major gaming companies have significant Bay Area presences, making the Northern District of California a likely venue for federal litigation in this area.
Who May Have a Claim
Families of minors who developed compulsive gaming behavior, gaming disorder, or associated harms — academic failure, social withdrawal, sleep disruption, anxiety, depression — that medical providers attribute in part to specific game design features may have claims. Documentation of the harm, the games involved, the extent of use, and any in-game purchase history is relevant to evaluating the claim.
Statute of Limitations
For personal injury claims under California law, Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1 sets a two-year period, subject to tolling for minors under Code of Civil Procedure § 352. Contact Attorney Michael Rehm to assess the specific timeline in your case.
Related Pages
- San Jose Personal Injury Attorney
- San Jose Roblox Sexual Exploitation Attorney
- San Jose Social Media Harm Attorney
- San Jose Defective Product Attorney
Attorney Michael Rehm represents families harmed by addictive video game design throughout San Jose and California on a contingency fee basis. No fee without a recovery. Call (800) 978-0754 for a free consultation.
The information on this page is general legal information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case turns on its own facts. The law can change — statutes are amended, cases are decided, and regulations are revised; nothing on this page should be relied upon as a statement of current law without verification. Deadlines and legal bars discussed on this page are general guides — whether a particular deadline applies, has run, or is subject to tolling, and whether a particular doctrine bars or limits recovery in your case, requires individual analysis. Contact Attorney Michael Rehm to discuss the specific facts of your situation.