Albany, New York: Hair Relaxer Lawsuits

Jed Dietrich, Esq., Recognized as a Best Lawyer and American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys 10 Best Attorney, is Committed to Protecting the Rights of Women Who Have Been Injured By Hair Relaxers and Chemical Hair Straighteners. If You Were Diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer, Uterine Cancer, or Another Serious Hair Relaxer-Related Medical Condition, Our Experienced Team of Attorneys Could Help You Collect the Evidence You Need to Obtain a Fair Settlement.

Hair relaxers are beauty products used to straighten naturally curly or coily hair.

People of all genders, backgrounds, and ethnicities can use relaxers, but many of these products are explicitly marketed to African-American women. According to some estimates, about 95% of all Black women in the United States have used a hair relaxer at least once in their lives. Different brands often rely on special proprietary formulas: they could contain lye, or formaldehyde, or be marketed as a safe alternative to the most common chemical-heavy solutions.

However, a growing body of evidence now suggests that even the safest straighteners could be more dangerous than manufacturers have let on.

In a recent study, scientists from Boston University determined that African-American women who use relaxers more than twice per year could face an increased risk for certain kinds of cancer, especially uterine and ovarian cancer. The risk is highest in Black women who have a long-term history of receiving straightening treatments, but some people have received life-changing diagnoses after only one to two years of regular use.

Although filing a lawsuit cannot change the past, it could provide the means to pay your way through recovery and begin rebuilding in the wake of an unexpected cancer diagnosis.

Since our founding in 2005, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has fought to protect the rights of women in Albany and across Upstate New York. We know what it takes to go toe-to-toe with the multibillion-dollar beauty industry, and we have the results to prove it. A recognized U.S. News & World Report Best Law Firm, our attorneys have helped our clients secure more than $300 million in damages.

We could help you, too, but you have to act fast.

Call Jed Dietrich, Esq., today at 1-866-529-5334 to speak to a hair relaxer lawyer near Albany, New York, and schedule your 100% free, no-obligation consultation as soon as possible.

If you have ever used a hair relaxer, you probably do not need anyone to explain the risks of a perm gone wrong. Hair straighteners are chemical products, and they often contain heavy metals and toxins that can do a lot of damage when they are not properly handled or applied.

Even limited, one-time use is associated with side effects that could include:

1. Hair loss;
2. Head and scalp injuries;
3. Localized or full-body pain.

These side effects can be unpleasant, but they are common enough that most women understand that using a relaxer comes with certain risks. However, most customers have never had any reason to suspect that a routine visit to a beauty salon could increase their lifetime odds of developing cancer.

In a recent consumer warning, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration identified formaldehyde as a unique source of danger found in many hair relaxers.

“Some hair smoothing or straightening products can contain or release formaldehyde,” the FDA wrote. “When such products are heated, formaldehyde gas is released into the air. Breathing in formaldehyde gas can be harmful and cause immediate reactions ranging from irritation of the eyes and throat to coughing, wheezing, or chest pain to chronic or long-term problems such as more frequent headaches, asthma, skin irritation, allergic reactions, and possibly cancer.”

Formaldehyde is not the only dangerous chemical in hair relaxers. Studies have also found that some brands contain high concentrations of hormone- and endocrine-disrupting compounds like phthalates and parabens, which can disrupt your body’s natural processes and, potentially, trigger cellular mutations. Not all disruptions and mutations are bad, but they can work together to create an internal environment favorable to cancer.

Not all hair relaxers cause cancer.

Most claims filed against the beauty industry have centered on products that contain formaldehyde, lye, or keratin. However, scientists have only recently identified hair relaxers as a potential cause for concern; many products that should be tested have not been, and researchers believe that even those marketed as “safe” could be dangerous.

Some of the products named in hair relaxer cancer lawsuits include:

1. Affirm by Avlon;
2. African Pride by Strength of Nature and Godrej SON Holdings;
3. Crème of Nature by Revlon;
4. Dark & Lovely by L’Oreal and SoftSheen;
5. Dr. Miracles by Strength of Nature;
6. Dream Kids by Strength of Nature;
7. Mizani by L’Oreal;
8. Pink Conditioning No-Lye Relaxer by Luster;
9. Revlon Realistic by Revlon;
10. Smooth Touch No-Lye Relaxer by Luster.

Hair straighteners have been tentatively tied to:

1. Uterine cancer;
2. Ovarian cancer;
3. Endometrial cancer;
4. Uterine sarcoma;
5. Uterine fibroids

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer or another serious medical condition after using a hair relaxer or chemical straightener, you could be entitled to file a personal injury lawsuit against a product-maker or retailer.

Depending on the circumstances of your case and the severity of your injury, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. could help you secure compensation for damages, including, but not limited to, the following:

1. Your existing medical expenses;
2. The costs of future or anticipated care;
3. Money to obtain experimental treatment or enroll in a new clinical trial;
4. Physical rehabilitation;
5. Elective or reconstructive surgery;
6. Lost income from work;
7. Diminished earning potential;
8. Pain and suffering;
9. Loss of enjoyment;
10. Wrongful death.

Some cases could be eligible for a category of damages called punitive damages.

Unlike more common types of damages, punitive damages are not compensatory. In other words, they are not intended to replace any kind of economic or non-economic loss. Instead, punitive damages are levied against companies that were unusually or extraordinarily negligent. This could happen if the defendant used a carcinogenic chemical when a safer alternative was available, or if a company knew that a product could cause cancer but decided to prioritize their profits rather than issue a public warning.

New York does not cap damages in most hair relaxer claims, but your right to file a lawsuit could be impacted by other factors. For example, state law requires that all claims be filed within a certain timeline, called the statute of limitations. If you wait too long to contact a lawyer, the statute of limitations will lapse, and once it does, you could lose your right to file a lawsuit, even if you would have had an open-and-shut claim.

Do not take chances with your rights: call recognized Super Lawyer Jed Dietrich, Esq., today at 1-866-529-5334 to speak to a hair relaxer cancer lawyer near Albany and schedule your 100% free, no-obligation consultation as soon as possible.

Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 1-866-529-5334 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Albany, New York. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!