Wisconsin Hair Straightener and Hair Relaxer Lawsuits
February 10, 2023:
Hair Relaxer Lawsuits Consolidated into MDL
As expected, an Order has been issued consolidating hair relaxer/hair straightener cancer cases into a multi-district litigation in the Northern District of Illinois. This is a win for hair relaxer cancer victims. Hair relaxer manufacturers wanted these cases filed in New York.
Consolidation into a MDL will allow hair relaxer cancer cases to be handled more efficiently and with less litigation costs. If you used a hair relaxer or hair straightener over a period of time and were then diagnosed with ovarian cancer or uterine cancer and would like to know if you have a valid claim, we invite you to use our Contact Form or give us a call. There is no charge and everything you tell us remains strictly confidential. We will be happy to give you our opinion on whether you have a valid claim.
Why So Many Wisconsin Women Are Filing Claims Against the Manufacturers of Hair Relaxers and Hair Straighteners?
Many women in Wisconsin use hair straighteners. Hair straighteners are sometimes referred to as hair relaxers. The use of hair straighteners is particularly high among African American women but is not limited just to the African American community.
Hair straighteners are used both at home and in hair salons. Regardless of whether you were exposed to a hair relaxer in a hair salon or at home, you may have been exposed to highly toxic chemicals.
Hair relaxers break down the protein bond in hair, causing the hair to have a more relaxed or “straightened” appearance. Hair relaxers are used at many hair salons. Dangerous hair relaxers can also be purchased at drug stores, grocery stores, large box stores and at many other retail outlets. They can also be purchased in many different ways over the internet.
Regardless of whether you are exposed to hair straighteners in a beauty salon or by purchasing the hair straightener from a store, the result is the same. Use of hair straighteners and hair relaxers have scientifically been shown to greatly increase the risk of cancer in women who use these products. It is alleged that manufacturers of hair straighteners and hair relaxers knew of the increased risk of cancer but failed to warn women of the risk in order to continue to make significant profits from the sale of these products.
There are two main reasons why many women in Wisconsin are deciding to file claims against the manufacturers of hair straighteners and hair relaxers. First, filing a claim may allow women to obtain significant financial compensation for themselves and their families. Second, filing a claim against the manufacturer of hair straighteners or hair relaxers gives Wisconsin women an opportunity to hold these manufacturers responsible for their conduct and to prevent similar conduct in the future. Filing a claim and/or lawsuit is the only way Wisconsin women can achieve these two results.
Scientific Evidence Linking The Use of Hair Straighteners to the Development of Cancer
Scientific research has shown that the regular use of hair straighteners/hair relaxers significantly increases the chance of women developing certain types of cancer. Hair relaxers can contain many dangerous chemicals which are not always included by manufacturers on their labeling.
Hair straighteners and hair relaxers have been suspected of increasing the risk of developing certain types of cancer for many years. In October, 2022 a major study by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences was published in the journal of the National Cancer Institute. The study showed that women who regularly used hair straighteners and hair relaxers were about twice as likely to develop cancer as compared to women who never used these hair products. Other studies back up these findings.
A 2019 study concluded that women who regularly used hair relaxers and hair straighteners were at a 30 percent increase for developing breast cancer. Women in the African American community were found to be most at risk.
Hair Straighteners and Hair Relaxers Contain Dangerous Chemicals That May Put Women in Wisconsin at Risk
Wisconsin women were never warned of the many dangerous chemicals in hair straighteners that may put them at risk for developing certain types of cancer. It takes strong chemicals that break down the hair’s protein structure in order to straighten a women’s hair. The chemicals involved in this process are referred to as phthalates.
EDCs are endocrine-disrupting chemicals that interfere with a women’s hormone development. These chemicals are often found in hair relaxers used in hair salons and also in hair relaxers purchased from a store for use at home.
The problem is that manufacturers of hair straighteners did not inform users that their products contained dangerous chemicals potentially harmful to their health. Many women in Wisconsin used these products to obtain a certain hairstyle and had no idea the product they were using contained dangerous chemicals. We believe that most women in Wisconsin would not have used hair straighteners and hair relaxers if they had been informed that the use of these products may significantly increase their risk of developing cancer.
Many Hair Relaxer Products Contain Potentially Dangerous Chemicals
Some Wisconsin women were exposed to dangerous chemicals in hair relaxers at a hair salon. Other Wisconsin women purchased these products directly from drug stores, grocery stores and over the internet. Common hair relaxers used by Wisconsin women may include the following products:
- Dark & Lovely
- Olive Oil
- Motions Hair Relaxer
- Just For Me
- Soft & Beautiful
- Optimum Care Relaxer
- TCB Naturals
This is not an exclusive list. There are other hair products used by women throughout Wisconsin that may contain dangerous cancer-causing chemicals. If you used any hair relaxer product and were then diagnosed with cancer, please give us a call to discuss your case. We can be reached at 414-273-7400 and we would love to speak with you. All consultations remain strictly confidential and there is never a charge to speak with us.
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Types of Cancer That May Be Linked To the Use of Hair Straighteners and Hair Relaxers
Based upon the scientific studies we previously have, Wisconsin women who used a hair straightener or hair relaxer and were diagnosed with one of the following conditions may have a claim for significant monetary compensation:
- Uterine Cancer
- Ovarian Cancer
- Uterine fibroids requiring hysterectomy or other significant surgery.
The longer you used the hair straightener and the more often you used it, the stronger the causal link is to the development of one of the conditions listed above.
Statute of Limitations
Lawsuits against manufacturers of hair straighteners and hair relaxers are subject to the applicable statute of limitations. What statute of limitations governs your case, and how the statute of limitations is applied, can be a complex issue. The statute of limitations varies from state to state.
Generally, the statute of limitations in Wisconsin is three years. What is referred to as the discovery rule may also apply to your case.
If you live in Wisconsin and were diagnosed with cancer after regular use of a hair straightener or hair relaxer, give us a call at 414-273-7400 or use our Contact Form. We are easy to talk to. We would be honored to discuss your potential case and let you know whether we believe you have a case against the manufacturer of the hair straightener or hair relaxer you used. Do not wait and run the risk of having your claim barred by the statute of limitations.
What is Alleged in a Wisconsin Hair Straightener or Hair Relaxer Lawsuit?
Hair straightener and hair relaxer products contain a chemical referred to as DEHP. DEHP is a man-made chemical. DEHP has been found to be highly toxic when it interacts with the human body and is alleged to be a carcinogen. Hair straightener and hair relaxer products also contain other chemicals which are thought to cause cancer.
These chemicals are inexpensive to use and manufacturers make millions of dollars selling their hair straightener and hair relaxer products. Wisconsin women filing hair relaxer lawsuits will allege that the manufacturer knew of the risks associated with chemical relaxers and yet did not warn consumers of the health risks associated with their products. Wisconsin hair relaxer lawsuits will also allege that manufacturers saved money by using cheap, toxic chemicals in their products.
How The Wisconsin Litigation Hair Relaxer Process Will Work
In 2022 women began filing claims and lawsuits against manufacturers of hair relaxers and hair straighteners. It is expected that in 2023 many Wisconsin women will come forward seeking significant compensation for serious illnesses caused by hair straighteners and hair relaxers.
It is expected that there will be a few bellwether trials early on. If, as expected, juries award significant compensation to the plaintiffs in the early bellwether trials, we anticipate that many Wisconsin women may receive significant compensation for their hair relaxer claim without ever having to go to court.
What Does It Cost To Hire An Attorney For My Wisconsin Hair Relaxer Claim or Lawsuit?
We take the risk out of hiring an award-winning attorney to handle your Wisconsin hair relaxer claim or lawsuit. We work on a contingency fee basis. That means we are not paid until we obtain a monetary recovery for you. If for any reason no recovery is obtained, then you owe us nothing.
To hire an award-winning Wisconsin lawyer to handle your Wisconsin hair relaxer claim, please contact us at 414-273-7400 or use our Contact Form. All information you provide is strictly confidential. You will find us easy to talk to and you will be glad you called.
What Compensation Can Women Obtain For Their Wisconsin Hair Relaxer Claim or Lawsuit
Each case is different and must be evaluated on its own facts. In general, women may be able to recover compensation for their past pain and suffering, future pain and suffering, past medical bills, future medical bills, past wage loss, future loss of earning capacity and travel expenses made necessary as a result of any cancer or illness caused by a hair relaxer or hair straightener.
Please give us a call at 414-273-7400 or use our Contact Form. We would be happy to discuss with you what compensation you may be entitled to in your Wisconsin hair relaxer claim or lawsuit.
As we write and post this, the hair relaxer and hair straightener litigation is at its early stages. We expect attorney advertising to increase once more lawyers become aware of the hair relaxer litigation. You can expect to see the much-disliked advertising for hair relaxer cases by attorneys and their marketing firms. These law firms are looking to sign up as many cases as possible in as many states as possible. They may never even meet in person with their clients. Often the mass-attorney TV advertising we see is not from attorneys at all. The advertising is often from marketing firms who sell your case to an out-of-state law firm if you sign with them.
Our approach is different. We do not participate in attorney TV advertising that so many people dislike. We focus only on representing women living in Wisconsin who have used hair relaxer products and then were diagnosed with certain cancers and illnesses. Unlike firms looking to sign as many cases as possible, from anywhere in the country, we get to know each one of our Wisconsin hair relaxer litigation clients personally. We interact with one another on a first-name basis an we often keep in touch with our clients long after their case has settled.
If you would like an award-winning Wisconsin law firm to handle your Wisconsin hair relaxer case, please give us a call at 414-273-7400 or use our Contact Form. It would be our honor to speak with you. We give every Wisconsin client personal attention in her hair relaxer claim while at the same time coordinating our efforts with national counsel and national medical experts when necessary. We look forward to speaking with you.