To file a hair relaxer lawsuit claim, you generally need to: document your product use, gather your medical records, consult a mass tort attorney, complete a case investigation, and have your attorney file the lawsuit on your behalf. Each step is explained in detail below.
Hair relaxers and chemical hair straightening products have become the main focus of major product liability litigation, even after scientific research raised concerns regarding potential links between prolonged use and certain hormone-related cancers. If you used hair relaxers and later developed a qualifying medical condition, you may be wondering whether you can file a hair relaxer lawsuit and what the process involves. This blog explains how to file a claim in a hair relaxer lawsuit.
Most litigation is centrally coordinated in MDL No. 3060, which addresses marketing, sales practices, and product liability litigation involving hair relaxers in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The filing of individual complaints and their subsequent transfer to the MDL in the Northern District of Illinois has continued in 2026.
Why Are Hair Relaxers the Subject of Lawsuits?
Hair relaxers and straightening products do contain and expose users to several chemicals. Research has already investigated whether repeated exposure to various ingredients might contribute to hormone-related health problems.
In an investigation by the National Institutes of Health with 33,000-plus women respondents, it was noted that those who reported using chemical straighteners 4-plus times in the past year were more than twice as likely to get uterine cancer than controls with no product use reported.
Investigators stated that certain product chemicals, such as those mentioned with straighteners, formaldehyde, parabens, Bisphenol A, and metal chemicals, may play a role.
As always, correlation in an epidemiology study is not proof that product use led to a patient’s specific cancer diagnosis. Typically, litigation requires more specific proof, such as the plaintiff’s use and medical information, along with applicable legal standards.
Who may qualify for a hair relaxer lawsuit claim?
Your eligibility depends on the facts of your case and the specific requirements of the relevant court proceedings and state law.
Potential plaintiffs could include individuals who have:
- Used chemical hair relaxers or straighteners over a period of time consistently
- Developed a qualifying condition and cancer that are being pursued in the litigation
- Be able to verify their medical diagnosis with documented medical records
- Be able to submit evidence of their hair relaxer usage
- Be within the deadlines of applicable statutes of limitations, or other legal criteria
Given that the requirements of eligibility may depend highly upon the exact time frame of a medical diagnosis, state where you resided, products that had been used, and relevant medical condition, it is advisable that you speak with a qualified mass tort attorney from People For Law before determining whether you are eligible for a claim.
Step 1: Document Your Hair Relaxer Use
Your history of hair relaxer use is one of the first things an attorney will collect.
Attempt to ascertain:
- Brand names and the products that you used
- Approximate timeframe during which you used them
- Frequency of use
- Where and from whom they were bought
- Whether you applied them to yourself, or whether you were applying them with a professional at a salon
- Receipts, photographs, and/or packaging, if still available
It is possible you may not be able to present each receipt or recollect the time that they were each applied, although more exact particulars can allow for a deeper review of your claim by an attorney.
Step 2: Gather Medical Records
Medical records are especially important in a product liability case.
Depending upon the details of your individual circumstances, a person may be eligible for and have relevant medical documents such as the ones listed below:
- Cancer diagnosis documentation
- Biopsy reports
- Pathology reports
- Surgery records
- Records of hospitalisation
- Treatment records
- All prescribed medication and subsequent treatments
- Records of doctor’s visits with specialists who treat the ailment, such as an oncologist
- Records of how your payment plan was organized with doctor’s orders, bills, and even how it influenced financial loss
- Records that indicate loss of earning capacity or loss of time on job duties
It is advisable that any medical documents not be changed or moved around, lest they later become part of your potential claim. It is best to turn them over to your attorney.
Step 3: Consult with a Mass Tort Attorney
Mass tort attorneys evaluate each potential client’s situation to decide whether it fits the current litigation and has the potential for a lawsuit. An initial conversation with an attorney concerning an evaluation of potential cases will involve questions concerning your health, medical diagnoses, treatments sought and administered, where you live, etc. Attorneys will then evaluate your situation to establish whether there is sufficient validity for pursuing the litigation.
The hair relaxer lawsuit isn’t a single litigation filed by one plaintiff; MDLs are collections of numerous litigations that work together in a pre-trial setting, where everyone is treated independently regarding their particular litigation and legalities. However, the core issues of each claim are typically very similar. MDLs, such as 3060 for this hair relaxer matter, often require claimants to produce specific information in the form of a plaintiff fact sheet.
Step 4: Case Investigation
A lawyer for a masstort litigator will go through several distinct investigative steps to thoroughly review your personal matter.
- The types of hair relaxer brands and products you used
- The span of time for which you used them, as well as their frequency
- Whether the chemical composition in the hair relaxer was potentially dangerous
- The diagnosis for which compensation is being pursued
- Investigation of alternative or contributing risk factors
- Estimates regarding any applicable monetary damages incurred, such as those paid for treatment and anticipated in the future
- The deadlines that are specific to product liability claims and your litigation
- To check if your claim can be placed into the specific litigation at hand
Step 5: Lawsuit Filing
Should a lawyer ascertain and recommend a proper path for proceeding with litigation against relevant parties in a hair relaxer claim, you have the right to decide whether or not to proceed. With enough information, a lawyer is responsible for initiating and filing said suit.
Looking at filings already available for 2026, it shows that when MDLs involve pre-existing mass tort claims from years ago, people continue to file claims in MDL 3060, which involves actions against companies that make hair care products and hair relaxers. This process will require further discovery demands for facts and records about the specific products you will have to litigate.
A Real Example of the Filing Process
Consider a woman in Orlando who used a chemical relaxer regularly for over a decade before being diagnosed with uterine cancer. She gathered old receipts and salon appointment records, along with her pathology reports and oncology treatment history, and brought them to a mass tort attorney for a free case review. After the attorney confirmed her documentation met the litigation’s criteria, her case investigation took several weeks to complete before her claim was formally filed and transferred into MDL 3060 for pretrial proceedings. Her experience illustrates why documentation gathered early, even years after product use, can still support a claim.
Possible compensation:
Compensation usually depends on the facts of each case and the damages awarded through mediation, settlement, or a jury ruling. Certain laws dictate the applicable compensation for claim types such as product liability:
- Medical expenses incurred to date and those expected in the future
- Lost income that occurred after diagnosis
- Loss of earning capacity
- Non-monetary damages such as emotional pain and suffering and/or physical discomfort and suffering
- Other losses for which the law may provide compensation
A fixed payment cannot be given for a hair relaxer lawsuit claim, as every claimant’s case has unique personal dynamics to consider when evaluating individual circumstances.
Do not delay investigating a potential claim.
The most important factor in a matter like this is the statute of limitations (SoL). The time limit for filing product liability claims varies by state and depends on the specifics of the claim. In Florida, most product liability claims must generally be filed within two years under Fla. Stat. § 95.11, though the applicable deadline can depend on when your injury was discovered. If you believe your usage has somehow contributed to a serious medical condition, take it upon yourself to seek legal assistance from an attorney experienced in mass tort liability. They can help determine your timeline of medical condition, usage history, and overall eligibility.