Whenever people hear that a certain product may cause cancer, they start to wonder if maybe they’ve used the product before. Some of the clients that come to see our mass tort lawyers are convinced that they’ve developed cancer. Many of them insist it was caused by using hair straighteners.
The problem is that your attorney needs to prove that this is the case. Nobody is automatically entitled to damages in hair straightener lawsuits.
What Is the Basis for the Hair Straightener Lawsuits?
As of this past February, more than 57 hair straightener lawsuits had been filed against companies such as L’Oréal USA Products, Inc. and Namaste Laboratories. The expectation is that many more will be filed before all is said and done.
The plaintiffs who have filed these lawsuits are alleging that the hair straighteners they’ve used for years caused cancer. Many of the plaintiffs have been diagnosed with uterine cancer while some developed ovation or breast cancer.
Other medical issues have been linked to hair straighteners as well, such as endometriosis and uterine fibroids.
Chemicals in the Hair Straighteners Allegedly Trigger Dangerous Hormone Production
The basis for the hair straightener lawsuits is that there are chemicals in the products that trigger the excessive production of certain hormones, such as progesterone and estrogen.
When these hormones reach elevated levels, they can cause terrible illnesses, including cancer. In fact, there have been studies that show that using hair straighteners just four times a year can double a woman’s chances of getting sick.
There is a Strong Link Between the Use of These Products and Various Types of Cancer in Females
The defendants, which are comprised of various hair straightener companies, argue that there is nothing unsafe or dangerous about their products. Their defense is that they can’t be held liable for failing to warn consumers that their products may cause cancer.
It’s not that the defendants are saying they did warn consumers. Instead, their attorneys have stated that there is nothing to warn customers about.
When Would You Need to Contact a Mass Tort Lawyer About the Hair Straightener Litigation?
Before you reach out to a mass tort lawyer about the hair straightener lawsuits, you want to make sure you have a case. We don’t mean that you know you have a sufficient claim for damages. Simply that there’s a chance the defendant may have injured you.
For example, if you haven’t been diagnosed with any of the illnesses associated with the hair straighteners named in the litigation, you would not have standing to sue. Even if you used the products every day of your life, if you didn’t suffer an injury, you cannot sue.
You Must Have Suffered an Actual Injury to File a Hair Straightener Lawsuit
A lot of our clients don’t realize this. They call our office and schedule their free consultation with one of our mass tort lawyers. When we meet with them, they tell us they assumed they would get some money because there was a chance they’d get sick in the future.
It doesn’t really work this way. You must be able to prove that you suffered an injury to be entitled to damages. This means that, if you do sue, your mass tort lawyer must prove that your injuries were caused by the defendant.
Your Mass Tort Lawyer Must Prove That You Used the Products and Developed Cancer
To have a valid claim against the companies named as defendants in the hair straightener lawsuits, you must prove several things.
First, your mass tort lawyer must prove that you actually used one of the dangerous products named in the lawsuits. For example, your attorney could submit proof that you regularly used a relaxer made by Soft Sheen or Carson, Inc.
Multiple Empirical Studies Support the Plaintiff’s Claims
Sometimes, mass tort lawyers are asked to file suit against a manufacturer without any real proof that they were at fault. With these hair straightener lawsuits, your mass tort lawyer must submit proof of causation.
One way to do this is to cite a study that demonstrates that there is a link between the defendant’s products and uterine, breast, or ovarian cancer.
The National Institute of Health Found That Women Who Used Hair Straighteners Were Twice as Likely to Get Cancer
One of the strongest pieces of evidence thus far is a study conducted by the National Institute of Health. They conducted a study of 33,000 women aged 35 to 74. They compared women who used hair straighteners to those who did not.
What the NIH found is that the incidence of uterine cancer in women who didn’t regularly use hair straighteners was only 1.64%. For women who did use the defendants’ products, the incidence rate was as high as 4.05%.
What Kind of Damages Can Your Mass Tort Lawyer Demand in Your Hair Straightener Lawsuit?
If you do file a hair straightener lawsuit, your mass tort lawyer will demand damages on your behalf. In the cases filed thus far, plaintiffs demanded some, or all of the following:
- Medical bills and future medical bills
- Lost wages
- Lost future income
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of quality of life
- Mental anguish
Depending on the facts of your case, you may be entitled to the same types of damages. Since each case is unique, you won’t know until you sit down with an experienced mass tort lawyer.
If You Think You Have a Valid Claim, Call One of Our Mass Tort Lawyers Today
If you think you may have gotten cancer from using hair straighteners, you don’t have time to waste.
Contact our office today so we can schedule your free, initial consultation. Take the chance to sit down with one of our seasoned mass tort lawyers and find out if you are eligible to file a hair straightener lawsuit.
Since the consultation is free, you have nothing to lose. The companies that make these products have teams of attorneys working for them. You need to have somebody in your corner too.
