2/6/2023 Breaking News For Immediate Release
Hair Relaxer Lawsuits Consolidated Into MDL in the Northern District of Illinois
The United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation entered a Transfer Order on February 6, 2023, creating MDL 3060: In Re: Hair Relaxer Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation. The order transfers nine cases from 4 different district courts to the Northern District of Illinois to be heard before the Honorable Mary M. Rowland. This established the official hair relaxer MDL. The Court noted that since the Motion to Transfer was filed, they had been made aware of 44 aadditional hair straightener cancer lawsuits in 15 different district courts. This Transfer Order was not surprising although some defendants opposed a common MDL.
Common Issue: Whether Hair Relaxers Made by L’Oreal and Others Increase Risk of Uterine Cancer
In their transfer order opinion, the Court specifically found that “All actions share common issues of fact regarding whether exposure to phthalates or other EDCs cause injury to the reproductive system, whether and when defendants knew or should have known of the alleged risks posed by hair relaxer products, and whether defendants enguaged in adequate testing and post-market surveillence.” The Court cited the October 2022 Study from the National Instute of Health that found that women using hair relaxers are more than 2x as likely to develop uterine cancer than woemn who do not use hair relaxers.
Hair Relaxer Products Alleged to Increase Risk of Uterine Cancer
Products under scrutiny in this litigation include popular names such as : Cantu Shea Butter Relaxer, Dark & Lovely, Just for Me, Motions by Strength of Nature, and Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Hair Relaxer. Other products by various manufacturer may also be included in some lawsuits.
Women Developing Uterine Cancer After 4 Times Use
Regular use such as 4 time a year is one of the criteria many personal injury lawyers are looking at as well as a diagnosis within the past 5 years. If you have been diagnosied with uterine cancer, and used a hair relaxer regularly, contact a lawyer involved in the hair relaxer litigation to determine whether you may be eligible to make a claim. Please feel free to call Simmons and Fletcher, P.C., at 800-298-0111 toll free or to send a message via the contact form on this page fi youdeveloped uterine cancer after regular use. Some other lawyers are looking at breast cancer claims as well but we are not currently looking at those claims without a uterine cancer diagnosis.
MDL Kicks Off
With this transfer, the receiving court is expcted to start entering discovery orders and other orders in order to set the MDL in motion. As of now, deadlines to file have not been set and no bellwether trials have been selected. Both of these events are expected to take place over the comming months as cases start and continue to join into the MDL.
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