With the hair relaxer products liability multidistrict litigation ongoing in the Northern District of Illinois, we are witnessing a consequent increase in legal cases in Georgia’s state courts, notably in Chatham and DeKalb counties. The wave of litigation finds its impetus in a 2022 study by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, which reported that women who use hair relaxers more than four times annually are more than twice as likely to develop uterine cancer.
The surge in lawsuits has been led by individuals who have a personal connection to the case. One of the plaintiff’s attorneys managing the litigation rush disclosed, “At the time, I had about 10 friends and family who were going through hysterectomies and the common denominator was that all of us relaxed our hair.”
As the legal proceedings evolve, experts predict “hundreds if not thousands of cases” related to the issue. This pattern illustrates the widening influence of the hair relaxer litigation and the significant impact it may have on manufacturers and consumers alike.