Chemical hair relaxers are extensively used throughout these products in the United States. Still, evidence is pointing to a link between the utilization of these items and the development of uterine cancer. This has resulted in numerous hair relaxer lawsuit against the manufacturers and distributors of these products.
Although there have yet to be any settlements or verdicts from the cases currently being litigated, looking at these similar cases could provide us with an idea of what kind of outcome plaintiffs could get. If the lawsuits against hair relaxers have results that are similar to those of other cases similar to them, the plaintiffs could receive anywhere from $120,000 to $150,000 or more.
What Is the Hair Relaxer Cancer Lawsuit?
Numerous study, including a new study conducted by NIH along with the Black Women’s Health Study, indicate a connection between the chemical relaxers for hair as well as Uterine cancer. The degree of the connection is being investigated. There have been lawsuits filed against companies who produce and sell these products, asserting that the hair relaxers are causing cancer.
A lot of these cases were consolidated in a Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) that allows several plaintiffs to participate in pretrial proceedings, like discovery. These pretrial processes are ongoing, and bellwether trials aren’t determined yet. Even though the outcomes of bellwether trials will not be binding to other plaintiffs of the MDL however, they can provide a glimpse of how the court could decide in the future.
What Factors Can Influence Settlement Amount?
In MDLs, every plaintiff can be awarded the same amount. It is not uncommon for this to differ even within the same MDL, and certain plaintiffs receive settlements in the thousands, while others receive settlements that are in the millions.
Because of this, typical settlement amounts don’t show the true value of what most people actually receive. Imagine a lawsuit that had 99 small settlements and one huge settlement. The larger settlement would raise the average quite a small amount, meaning that the average will be a lot higher than what 99 plaintiffs got.
We don’t have outcomes from the trials, so it’s hard to know precisely what settlements for hair relaxers could be like. However, we do have an idea of what elements can affect the settlement amount in such cases.
Length of Exposure
Most of the time, in personal injury cases like this, the duration of time (or the duration a person was exposed to the product) can impact the amount of settlement. Individuals who have used products for a long time could be more likely to receive a higher amount, particularly when compared to a person who has only utilized the product for a single time.
Severity of Illness
Personal injury settlements typically consider how serious the injury is, as well as how it has impacted the plaintiff’s lifestyle and how it could affect their lives in the future. The more serious illness may cause a bigger settlement, which will take into consideration the expense of medical treatment.
Economic Damages
Personal injury lawsuits and settlements are financial. The amount of money awarded must be specified as part of a settlement judgment. It follows that more expensive cases (for medical bills and recovery, lost wages, etc.) could receive more settlements than those that have lower costs.
Non- Economic Damages
It is possible to get non-economic damages or awards for intangible items, like distress and suffering or anxiety and stress. Plaintiffs who have experienced a painful experience may be awarded higher settlements or judgments as a result of these intangibles.
Future Medical Costs
A large number of plaintiffs in personal injury lawsuits still need to complete their medical treatment. For a few, their illness could be life-threatening. They may be able to pay medical bills on a regular basis, and these are typically considered when deciding the award amount.
Negligence
Negligence is an essential idea in personal injuries. The decision of a case rests upon whether or not the party was owed by the plaintiff an obligation of care, and if that obligation was not fulfilled in the case of the defendant. Defendants can be negligent when they distribute or sell products they know are harmful, or they could have realized they were harmful. The cases in which defendants are found to be negligent could result in higher settlements or judgments.
What Sort of Settlement Might I Receive?
There needs to be a way to know what settlements could look like in the present litigation involving the hair relaxer. If we examine similar cases in this regard, we could have a rough idea.
Talcum Powder Lawsuits
Legal suits involving talcum powder assert that the presence of asbestos in the product triggered mesothelioma and ovarian cancer. There have been settlements and verdicts, but numerous cases, such as one called an MDL, are pending. A lot of settlements are confidential, and even though we have the number of awards in jury trials, they were primarily for smaller numbers of people. Therefore, they are not able to be used as a reference point for comparison. In May 2024, the primary party, Johnson & Johnson, presented $6.9 billion in settlements of 50,000 cases that involved cancer of the reproductive system. If the acceptance is granted and accepted, defendants will get between $130,000 and $140,000.
Roundup Lawsuits
Roundup is a drug that was advertised as a weed killer. An MDL was filed against the company, alleging that exposure to Roundup can cause non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The MDL ended up being settled in the year 2020 and provided a settlement of $150,000.
What Does This Mean for Hair Relaxer Cases?
Settlements and verdicts regarding the case of the hair relaxation MDL will be according to the circumstances of the case. Moreover, the jury cannot guarantee settlements of similar cases will impact the future settlement amount. However, we have two recent instances of products believed to cause cancer and received average settlements of $130,000-$150,000.
Next Steps..
If you suspect that you’ve been injured by the chemical products used in hair relaxation, you still have time to file an action. Get a Claimant Legal Help lawyer, who are experienced in mass torts such as class action lawsuits or multidistrict litigation. Claimant Legal Help will be able to offer you specific advice for your particular situation and suggest what you should do next. Click here to apply for free case evaluation with us and see if you are eligible to file a case or not.
