Litigating Chemical Hair Relaxer Product Liability Claims

This program will explore product liability lawsuits filed against cosmetic companies for failure to warn consumers about a link to reproductive health problems. Consumers of cosmetics are primarily BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) women who use lanthionization—relaxers—to chemically straighten textured hair.

Discussions will include chemical hair relaxers litigation filed against cosmetic companies, related government medical studies, and how to effectively work with primarily BIPOC women in chemical hair relaxers litigation.

Attorneys whose practice areas include product liability (both plaintiff and defense), health care, medical malpractice, torts, personal injury, as well as members of the judiciary, will benefit from attending this introductory program.

Learning Objectives:

• Evaluate the history of chemical hair straighteners among BIPOC women
• Investigate the National Institutes of Health (NIH) study "Use of Straighteners and Other Hair Products and Incidents of Uterine Cancer" and other medical research studies related to chemical hair straighteners and prevalence of health conditions such as such as uterine cancer, breast cancer, endometriosis, and uterine fibroids among BIPOC women
• Analyze a Legal Case Study:
  2022 WL 14568457 (N.D.Ill.) (Trial Pleading)
  United States District Court, N.D. Illinois.
  Jenny MITCHELL, Plaintiff, v. L'OREAL USA, INC, L'Oreal Usa Products, Inc., Strength of Nature Global, LLC, Soft Sheen/Carson Inc., Soft Sheen Carson (W.I.), Inc., Dabur International Ltd., Dabur Usa Inc., and Namaste Laboratories, LLC, Defendants. No. 22CV05815. October 21, 2022