As millions of Americans continue to use hair relaxer products, more and more information is coming out about the harmful effects of chemical straighteners. Research has shown that exposure to the chemicals found in hair relaxers can lead to uterine, ovarian, or endometrial cancers. Those who have used hair relaxer products for prolonged periods are now filing product liability lawsuits against the manufacturers. The hair relaxer class action MDL (multidistrict litigation) is gaining traction and is centered in Illinois under the guidance of Judge Mary Rowland.
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February 2, 2026 – New Updates
There are now 11,195 plaintiffs in the MDL with over 99% on hold while the bellweather cases get sorted out. The bellweathers are moving forward. Defendants have deposed 29 of the 32 bellweather plaintiffs – the final three will be completed in February. State cases are developing. Illinois is moving toward cohort trials in late 2026 or early 2027. Georgia’s Supreme Court has given plaintiffs a significant statute of repose win. New York is moving on discovery, and Philadelphia is organizing.
December 9, 2025 – Lawsuit Numbers Continue to Grow
121 new cases were added in November, bringing the total to 10,844.
October 2, 2025 – Cases from Salon Workers Show Strongest Exposure
The cases with the highest levels of exposure are from professional stylists and cosmetologists. These professionals worked with chemical straighteners every day for years.
September 29, 2025 – MDL Numbers Continue to Grow
Judge Rowland ruled on defense requests to dismiss cases due to noncompliance with CMO 9. One case was dismissed with prejudice, while many others were dismissed without prejudice but may be refiled if the plaintiffs promptly submit complete fact sheets and authorizations.
September 18, 2025 – Plaintiffs Win Privilege Dispute
Magistrate Judge Beth Jantz ruled that Namaste must turn over an email chain it was withholding, claiming attorney-client privilege. After examination, the court determined the emails mostly involved a third-party consultant, not legal advice. Namaste must turn over the full version to the plaintiffs by September 22.
September 11, 2025 – New Orders
Judge Rowland gave plaintiffs more time on their expert disclosures, extending the deadline to December 1. Defendants have until January 6, 2026, to serve their own reports with rebuttals from plaintiffs due January 20, 2026. Science Day remains locked for January 8.
September 5, 2025 – Insurance Woes
Sally Beauty Holdings Inc. has sued Cincinnati Insurance Co. and Cincinnati Casualty Co. in Texas federal court. They allege the insurance companies breached coverage obligations by failing to pay defense costs in the lawsuits over hair relaxers.
September 1, 2025 – Science Day Scheduled
Judge Rowland has scheduled science day for January 8, 2026. The goal is to educate the court on the scientific and medical issues fueling the litigation.
The format is clear. Plaintiffs will present their experts in the morning. They will lay out the research linking chemical hair relaxers to cancer. The defense will then have the afternoon to respond. There will not be any testimony, cross-examination, or rulings.
August 23, 2025 – Five Plaintiffs Dismissed
Five plaintiffs were dismissed with prejudice from the MDL for failing to file their Short Form Complaints by the August 14, 2025, deadline.
August 17, 2025 – New Lawsuit in Connecticut
A Connecticut resident filed a new lawsuit alleging that 40 years of using chemical hair relaxers resulted in her diagnosis of uterine cancer in 1988.
August 3, 2025 – MDL Numbers Continue to Grow
The MDL now includes 10,567 pending cases.
June 23, 2025 – Philadelphia Lawsuits Consolidated
The Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas has formally consolidated dozens of lawsuits into a mass tort program. These cases are now managed as a unified docket.
June 22, 2025 – Statute of Repose in Georgia
Georgia’s Supreme Court is currently debating whether people harmed by long-term use of products (such as hair relaxers) can still sue if more than 10 years have passed since they started using the product. This centers on the legal concept of a statute of repose, which is the strict time limit an individual has to file a lawsuit, regardless of when the injury occurs. In Georgia, the time limit is 10 years from when the product was first sold for use.
The issue arises with products that are harmful with repeated exposure and diseases with a long latency period. Hair relaxers cause injury over time, so is the statute of repose justifiable?
April 30, 2025 – Settlement Mediator Appointed
Court Management Order No. 17 has been issued, appointing Ellen K. Reisman as a Special Master to oversee and coordinate settlement negotiations in the MDL.
February 11, 2025 – Settlement Talks Ramp Up
Negotiations are progressing as plaintiffs and defendants move toward a settlement.
No matter the outcome of the settlement discussion, both sides appear aligned on a March 20, 2025, deadline to finalize mediator selections.
February 2, 2025 – MDL Trial Schedule Revealed
Judge Rowland outlined a bellwether trial plan for the MDL:
April 30, 2025: Parties identify and exchange 20 Initial Bellwether Discovery Cases.
May 9, 2025: Parties file joint status reports identifying Initial Bellwether Discovery Cases.
June 9, 2025: Each Defendant serves its Answer and Affirmative Defenses to Initial Bellwether Discovery Cases.
September 30, 2025: Close of oral fact discovery.
October 31, 2025: Plaintiffs disclose general causation expert reports.
December 1, 2025: Defendants disclose general causation expert reports.
February 16, 2026: Close of case-specific fact discovery. Deadline for parties to file position papers on cases for trial selection.
March 2, 2026: Close of general causation expert discovery. Court to rule on Bellwether Trial Case selection.
April 1, 2026: Deadline to file general causation Daubert motions.
May 1, 2026: Close of additional case-specific fact discovery for Bellwether Trial Cases.
June 30, 2026: Plaintiffs disclose case-specific and all other expert reports.
August 3, 2026: Defendants disclose case-specific and all other expert reports.
October 16, 2026: Close of case-specific and all other expert discovery.
November 16, 2026: Deadline to file summary judgment and non-general causation Daubert motions.
January 6, 2027: Replies in support of summary judgment motions due.
Plaintiffs will not see a trial until 2027, but state cases will likely move ahead of this schedule.
December 4, 2024 – 8% Fee to Attorney’s
The MDL established an 11% assessment on gross monetary recoveries to compensate lawyers working on the MDL. It is divided 8% to legal fees and 3% for expenses.
October 24, 2024 – State Courts
There are many state court hair relaxer lawsuits around the country.
Cook County – 57 cases have been filed, with 44 consolidated before Judge Patrick T. Stanton.
Georgia: 20 cases in Chatham County have been consolidated with seven pending in DeKalb County, and plaintiffs are seeking to consolidate the cases under Judge Alvin T. Wong.
New York: Two active cases are pending in New York County, with motions to dismiss active.
Pennsylvania: Six cases are pending in the Court of Common Pleas in Philadelphia County.
Canada: Two punitive class-action cases are pending, with no certification motions filed.
July 17, 2024 – Discovery Update
Lawyers for defendants have submitted a Joint ESI Discovery Status Report that details their efforts to agree on search methodologies. Here is the status on some key defendants:
July 4, 2024 – Insurer’s Battling Against Coverage
Selective Way Insurance has petitioned a Georgia federal judge for exemption from defending House of Cheatham, a defendant in the hair relaxer MDL.
June 28, 2024 – Fact Sheets
A group of plaintiffs filed a motion for a 60-day extension to submit completed PFSs. A failure to comply could result in a dismissal without prejudice for each listed plaintiff for one year.
June 3, 2024 – 300 Cases Dropped
The number of cases in the MDL dropped by nearly 300. This is because many have opted not to proceed with non-cancer injuries. The total number of pending cases now stands at 8,170.
May 24, 2024 – Plaintiff Fact Sheets
Defendants are accusing Plaintiffs’ of attempting to circumvent Case Management Order #9 by submitting blank Plaintiff Fact Sheets.
If a blank PFS is submitted, it gives the plaintiffs extra time to comply, as defendants have to go through PFSs and then send warning letters that come with a 30-day period to cure deficiencies. This delays the process significantly.
This is not a widespread practice.
May 16, 2024 – Requested Dismissal of Certain Cancer Cases
Plaintiffs’ lawyers are seeking permission to dismiss certain cancer-related cases without prejudice. These cases include those plaintiffs that believed they had ovarian, uterine, or endometrial cancer but later found out this was not the case.
May 12, 2024 – ESI Special Master
Maura Grossman is named the ESI Special Master.
May 6, 2024 – Special Master Appointment Battle
Maura Grossman was appointed as special master, but this has rankled those involved. The response from the defendants is due today.
May 2, 2024 – FDA Misses Deadline to Ban Formaldehyde
The FDA missed its deadline on its proposed ban on formaldehyde in hair-straightening products. There is no explanation from the FDA on the delay.
May 1, 2024 – MDL Growth Continues to Slow
April saw only 81 new cases. The total pending cases is now 8,468.
April 1, 2024 – Case Filings Continue to Decline
With only 53 new cases over the past month, the MDL growth has slowed significantly. The total pending cases are now 8,387.
March 8, 2024 – L’Oreal Loses Discovery Motion
Initially, plaintiffs filed a motion to compel discovery from foreign affiliates, including L’Oreal S.A., arguing for reconsideration based on factual inaccuracies, but their motion was denied. Although this motion was denied, L’Oreal USA was granted an extension to coordinate with L’Oreal S.A. to address logistics concerns.
March 1, 2024 – MDL Continues to Grow Slowly
117 new cases were added over the past month, bringing the total to 8,334 pending cases.
February 2, 2024 – 191 More Cases Added
This brings the total pending cases up to 8,217.
January 15, 2024 – 42 New Cases Added, MDL to over 8,000 Cases
This brings the total number of pending cases to 8,026.
January 8, 2024 – Bellwether Trials Scheduled
The initial bellwether trial is set for November 23, 2025, with the second trial set for February 2, 2026.
December 18, 2023 – MDL Growth Continues but Slows Down
17 new cases were added to the MDL in December. There are now 7,984 pending cases.
November 28, 2023 – 11% MDL Common Benefit Fund
On November 22, 2023, the plaintiffs’ leadership in the MDL filed a motion requesting an order for an 11% common benefit fund holdback. A common benefit fund is established to compensate lawyers for work that benefits all plaintiffs in the MDL. The court creates the fund and pools a portion of any settlements or recoveries from individual cases. The 11% is higher than that seen in previous MDLs—the 3M earplug lawsuit was capped at 9% and the Camp Lejeune case at 3%.
November 21, 2023 – Statute Conference
In Illinois, Judge Mary M. Rowland conducted a status conference. The following updates came from the conference:
November 17, 2023 – 7,967 Cases Filed
As of November 17, 2023, nearly 8,000 pending hair relaxer cases are in the class action MDL. Over 2,000 were added in the last month. Since August, roughly 500 new cases have been reported per week.
November 14, 2023 – Motion to Dismiss Rejected
Judge Mary M. Rowland has upheld most claims against major hair relaxer manufacturers. She found that federal law does not invalidate the plaintiffs’ state law claims, specifically those alleging product liability and negligence. The court did dismiss fraud claims for failing to meet Rule 9 (b)’s specificity requirements but allowed claims of unfair conduct to proceed. Most importantly, punitive damages are still permitted in the case. State law and the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act still meet the standards for continuation concerning warranty claims.
November 1, 2023 – 11% Requested for Plaintiff Benefit Fund
Lead counsel in the hair relaxer lawsuits seeks a fee equal to 11% of each case’s gross settlement or verdict. From this, 8% would be allocated to the common benefit work, while the remaining 3% would be to reimburse common benefit expenses.
This percentage does not impact how much compensation each individual will be awarded.
October 19, 2023 – New Hair Relaxer Rule Proposed by the FDA
The FDA is proposing a new regulation that would ban the use of formaldehyde in all hair relaxer products. Formaldehyde is a known toxic substance and has been linked to numerous types of cancer, including leukemia. It has not been linked to uterine or ovarian cancer.
October 16, 2023 – 3,752 New Cases Filed
Over the past month, 3,752 new hair relaxer cases have been added to the MDL, bringing the total to 5,996.
October 9, 2023 – Plaintiffs Win Discovery Battle
Judge Mary Rowland weighed in on several discovery disputes, ruling mostly in favor of the plaintiffs. One decision required the defendants to produce documents that the defense argued were patent-related. Defendants have until November 23, 2023, to produce the documents.
September 27, 2023 – Case Management Order No. 9 Issued by Judge Rowland
Judge Mary Rowland issued Case Management Order No. 9 – Service of and Responses to Short Form Complaints (CMO 9). The order sets out the procedural rules for new plaintiffs filing Short Form Complaints and for responding to SFCs.
September 1, 2023 – New Defense Counsel
Dabur International (parent company of Namaste Laboratories) replaced its defense team from Kirkland & Ellis LLC with lawyers from Baker & McKenzie LLP.
August 17, 2023 – Master Complaint
The MDL now has a Master Complaint.
August 4, 2023 – Judge Rowland Approves Short Form Complaint
Judge Rowland has entered an official Short Form Complaint (SFC) for all future hair relaxer lawsuit plaintiffs. All new cases can be filed directly in the class action MDL.
July 1, 2023 – Motion to Bifurcate Discovery Filed
Defendants have requested the court to bifurcate and stay all discovery unrelated to general causation.
May 11, 2023 – Procedure to File
The court issued an order to clarify how to file a new case related to the hair relaxer MDL.
A new case must be filed separately in the Northern District of Illinois. The filing must mention Judge Mary Rowland and master docket number 23 CV 0818 on the cover sheet. Refer to the format and requirements listed in the Direct Filing Order and Case Management Order No. 2.
April 27, 2023 – Link Between Hair Relaxers and Decreased Fertility
Boston University’s School of Public Health led a study that concluded there was a link between the usage of chemical hair straighteners and relaxers and a decline in fertility.
April 2023 – Europe Pushes to Ban Hair Relaxers
Politicians and activists in the UK are calling for L’Oreal and other cosmetic companies to remove hair relaxer products from store shelves completely. British organization Level Up published an open letter to cosmetic companies, urging them to take harmful products out of circulation. It was signed by many high-level UK politicians.
March 31, 2023 – New Order to File Directly
A new order from the Chicago MDL allows plaintiffs to file hair relaxer lawsuits directly in the MDL instead of filing in their home state and waiting for the court to transfer their claim.
February 7, 2023 – Assignment of Judge Mary Rowland
The hair relaxer litigation has been assigned to Judge Mary Rowland in the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago.
February 6, 2023 – Hair Relaxer Class Action Lawsuit
The hair relaxer class action lawsuit was officially approved byt he JPML Panel. All federal hair relaxer lawsuits will be housed in Illinois.
January 27, 2023 – Class Action Hearing
The MDL Panel will determine if the hair relaxer lawsuits will be a class action. They will likely rule in February.
January 4, 2023 – New Hair Relaxer Lawsuit Filed in Missouri
A new hair relaxer lawsuit was filed yesterday in Missouri, alleging the products cause uterine cancer. It named L’Oreal USA, Inc., SoftSheen-Carson LLC, Strength of Nature Global, LLC, and Namaste Laboratories, LLC as defendants.
It’s never too late to fight for your rights. Contact us today to explore your options if you have been diagnosed with uterine, ovarian, or endometrial cancer due to hair relaxer use.
Our team of experienced litigators focuses on cancer-related exposure and has a track record of success. We care about you and your family and holding responsible parties accountable. Your fight is our fight.