L’Oreal uterine cancer lawsuit overview:
- Who: Jenny Mitchell filed a class action lawsuit against L’Oréal USA Inc.
- Why: Mitchell claims L’Oréal sells hair straightening products that caused her to develop uterine cancer.
- Where: The lawsuit was filed in Illinois federal court.
L’Oréal USA Inc. sold hair straightening products that caused a Missouri woman to develop uterine cancer, a new lawsuit alleges.
Plaintiff Jenny Mitchell claims her uterine cancer diagnosis was “directly and proximately caused” by her “regular and prolonged exposure to phthalates and other endocrine disrupting chemicals” allegedly found in L’Oréal’s hair straightening products.
Mitchell argues further that L’Oréal ran a “marketing scheme” that reinforced “historical Eurocentric standards of beauty” by relying on “branding and slogans that reinforce straight hair as the standard.”
“Hair relaxers are classified as creams or lotions which are specifically marketed to Black and Brown women to ‘tame’ their ethnic hair by making it smoother, straighter and easier to manage on a daily basis,” the L’Oréal lawsuit states.
L’Oreal lawsuit claims recent study shows hair straightening product users at higher risk of developing uterine cancer
The L’Oreal lawsuit cites a study recently published by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute that allegedly shows that individuals who use hair relaxing or hair straightening products are at a higher risk of developing uterine cancer.
“These risks are more substantial among Black women, who make up the overwhelming majority of hair straightening and hair relaxing products, including as Defendants’ products,” the L’Oréal uterine cancer lawsuit states.
The study shows that 4.05% of frequent users of hair straightening and hair relaxing products go on to develop uterine cancer by the time they are 70 years old, compared to only 1.64% of women who had never used chemical hair relaxers or straighteners, according to the L’Oréal lawsuit.
Mitchell claims L’Oréal is guilty of negligence and fraud, among other things, and violates the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act and the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
She demands a jury trial and requests an award of compensatory, economic, punitive and/or exemplary damages.
In other L’Oreal news, last month, L’Oréal urged a federal judge in Illinois to dismiss a separate class action lawsuit alleging the company violates biometric privacy law with its virtual try-on tool.
If you are a woman who developed uterine cancer after using hair-straightening products, you may qualify to participate in a hair-straightening lawsuit investigation.
The plaintiff is represented by Adam J. Levitt, Blake Stubbs, Eli J. Hare, Diandra S. Debrosse Zimmerman, Mark A. DiCello, Mark Abramowitz, Bernadette Armand, Elizabeth P. White, and Éviealle J. Dawkins of DiCello Levitt LLC, and Benjamin Crump and Nabeha Shaer of Ben Crump Law.
Zimmermann says she’s preparing similar suits in the wake of the National Institute of Health study, according to Law360.
The L’Oreal uterine cancer lawsuit is Mitchell v. L’Oréal USA, Inc, et al., Case No. 1:22-cv-05815, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
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7 thoughts onL’Oreal lawsuit claims hair straightening products caused woman’s uterine cancer; more suits to follow
I’ve been s hairstylist for 32 years and have several biopsies. I would like to be added to this claim.
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I underwent a hysterectomy due to heavy bleeding and vaginal pain. Thank God because my surgeon found that my uterus showed an early sign of cancer forming.
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I used that all my life I started way back having precancerous cells. I had biopsy done years ago but the precancerous cells never left. I also have several breast problems leaking breast and pain for years no cancer
I first found out endometrial cancer in 2019, and had to undergo chemo and a full hysterectomy because I was in stage 4 cancer and I just found out in May that my cancer is back.