Mass Torts

September 14, 2023

Africa’s Best Hair Relaxer Lawsuit

A new medical study has found that the chemicals in hair relaxers or straighteners can cause uterine cancer and other hormone-related conditions in women. Africa’s Best no-lye relaxer is one the more popular brands of hair relaxer, and it is manufactured by House of Cheatham, Inc. Hair relaxer lawsuits are being brought in all 50 states against House of Cheatham and other companies who sell chemical relaxer products. The lawsuits allege that relaxers such as Africa’s Best caused the plaintiffs to develop uterine cancer or other injuries.

This post will discuss the new medical evidence linking relaxers to uterine cancer and the lawsuits against House of Cheatham regarding Africa’s Best line of relaxer products.

Hair Relaxer Litigation September 2023 Update

September 10, 2023

Discovery of Benzene in Spray Deodorants May Lead to Recall and Lawsuits

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

Product safety testing discovered dangerous levels of benzene in several major brands of spray-on deodorant (and body spray).

Benzene is a notorious human carcinogen that has been shown to cause leukemia. Unsafe levels of the carcinogen were found in some of the most popular deodorant brands including Old Spice, Secret, Suave, and Tag. The FDA has established a benzene limit of 2 ppm in cosmetics. Yet, independent lab tests revealed that some recalled deodorants and antiperspirants had benzene concentrations as high as 9 ppm.

The discovery of benzene in spray-on deodorants could have major ramifications similar to those seen after benzene was found in sunscreen earlier this year. We could see sweeping product recalls before the end of 2021, followed by hundreds of product liability lawsuits against the deodorant manufacturers.

September 10, 2023

Military Housing Lawsuit

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

There are approximately 1.3 million active-duty service members in the United States. Among these, approximately 22% reside in privatized on-base housing.

We owe it to our service men and women to provide them with quality housing. Yet so many do not. Soldiers report a range of issues, including lead-based pain, structural defects, rodent and insect infestations, faulty installation, water leaks and excessive moisture, and persistent mold problems.

Furthermore, these homes far too often suffer from unacceptable deviations from applicable building and housing codes, including structurally deficient flooring and walls, faulty insulation, extensive mold and other toxins, hazardous asbestos and lead-based paint, deficient electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems, and numerous other inadequacies.

September 3, 2023

Allergan Breast Implant Lawsuits

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

Federal lawsuits against Allergan’s Natrelle Biocell Textured Breast Implants emerged months after its manufacturer, Allergan, recalled it. The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation consolidated all federal into an MDL class action in New Jersey (most recent court order). The MDL lawsuits allege that the implants cause breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL), a rare form of cancer.

UPDATES:

September 3, 2024: As of today, there are now a total of 1,235 plaintiffs with pending cases in the Allergan breast implant class action MDL.

July 13, 2023

Alabama Class Action Lawsuits

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

Our national mass tort lawyers are pursuing cases in a number of class action lawsuits. Thousands of Alabama residents could potentially be eligible to become plaintiffs in many of these mass tort cases. In this post, we will summarize the most significant class action lawsuits that Alabama residents should be aware of. We will also explain who is eligible to become plaintiffs in the various class action lawsuits, what their potential chances of success are, and what their potential settlement value could be if successful.

June 1, 2023

The Pivotal First AFFF Bellwether Trial

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

Next week, the pivotal first bellwether test trial is set to begin in the massive class action MDL over the personal and environmental harm caused by PFAS “forever chemicals” in AFFF firefighting foam. The firefighting foam MDL now has over 4,000 plaintiffs with pending cases. Now, after years of consolidated discovery and buildup, the test case is finally ready to be presented to a jury in a federal courtroom in South Carolina.

The case selected for this initial bellwether trial is the City of Stuart v. 3M Co. et al. (2:18-cv-03487). The outcome of the trial in the City of Stuart case will have a massive impact on the future course of the litigation. It will be the first time a jury will decide the scientific evidentiary battle that has been waged between the plaintiffs and defendants such as DuPont and 3M.

If the jury resolves this debate in favor of the plaintiff and awards a significant verdict, it could prompt a multi-billion-dollar settlement involving dozens of major companies. It could also set the stage for future cases involving similar tort claims by local municipalities based on environmental contamination.

March 22, 2023

Hair Relaxer and Endometrial Cancer Lawsuits

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

Chemical hair relaxers and hair perms are products routinely used by a majority of African American women in the U.S. Scientific research has recently established that the chemicals in hair relaxers can cause endometrial cancer, and other serious health conditions.

Lawsuits are now being filed by women who may have developed endometriosis from prolonged use of hair perms or hair relaxers. There is a class action lawsuit ongoing in New York that has consolidated all endometriosis hair relaxers lawsuits together.

RELATED POSTS:

March 8, 2023

Phthlates in Hair Relaxers

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

Phthalates are a group of chemical compounds that were developed in the early 20th century and have been used in a variety of industrial and consumer applications.

Most people have never heard of phthalates. But women who have suffered injuries from hair relaxers are now learning about this chemical that they never knew they had been exposed to until now.

History of Phthalates

March 4, 2023

Hair Relaxer Myomectomy Lawsuit

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

Most of our hair relaxer uterine fibroid lawsuits involve women who require a hysterectomy to treat their condition. But our lawyers are also seeing claims from victims who need a myomectomy to treat fibroids that chemical hair straighteners may have caused.

We believe myomectomy claims may also receive significant settlement compensation in the new hair relaxer class action lawsuit.

The page talks about myomectomy lawsuits in this litigation and speculates about the settlement payouts victims might receive. Elsewhere, we give you the latest hair relaxer lawsuit update tracking where we are in the litigation.

March 1, 2023

Luster’s Smooth Touch Hair Relaxer Lawsuit

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

New scientific evidence has established a link between female cancers (ovarian and uterine) and long-term use of chemical hair relaxers. Luster’s Smooth Touch and Luster’s Pink are two famous chemical hair relaxers/straighteners. Many women who used Smooth Touch, Pink, or other Luster relaxer products and subsequently developed uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine fibroids, or endometriosis may be able to file a hair relaxer lawsuit and get financial compensation. Hair relaxer cancer lawsuits are already being filed around the country. Hair relaxer cases in federal courts have already been consolidated into a new class action lawsuit.

This post will examine the recent medical evidence linking relaxers to uterine and ovarian cancer and the lawsuits against Luster Products Inc. regarding its Smooth Touch and Pink line of relaxer products.

About Luster’s Smooth Touch and Other Hair Relaxer Products