Buffalo, New York: Hair Relaxer Lawsuits

Jed Dietrich, Esq., Is a Recognized Super Lawyer Committed to Defending the Rights of Hair Relaxer Cancer Victims In and Around Buffalo. If You or a Loved One Has Been Diagnosed with Ovarian or Uterine Cancer After Using a Chemical Hair Relaxer, The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. Could Help You Secure the Compensation You Need and the Justice You Deserve.

Hair relaxers are a popular beauty product used to straighten hair that is naturally curly.

Relaxers can be considered a type of perm. They can be applied in a salon or at home. Unlike competing topical products, relaxers work by inflicting controlled damage on curly or coily hair. New bonds can take time to form, but they are not permanent; most women who wish to maintain the effect need treatment every several months.

The general risks of using hair relaxers are relatively well-known. If you have ever had a bad perm, you probably had to spend a not-insignificant amount of time contending with brittle and broken strands. These side effects are common enough that most women understand that getting a perm, even from the best salon, can be dangerous.

However, few women who choose relaxers would ever expect that treatment could come at a much steeper cost.

According to a recent series of scientific studies, some hair relaxer products are associated with a higher-than-average risk of developing certain kinds of cancer. These include, but are not limited to, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, and endometrial cancer.

Although researchers have yet to establish a definitive link between hair relaxers and cancer, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is taking the threat seriously. In 2023, for instance, the agency proposed a new rule to prohibit the use of formaldehyde in chemical hair relaxers. Formaldehyde, a powerful chemical that can extend the shelf-life of products and help prevent microbial growth, is also a recognized carcinogen. According to the FDA, the use of formaldehyde in common hair relaxers is associated with a wide range of short- and long-term health effects, up to and including an increased risk of cancer.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer after using a formaldehyde-based hair relaxer, you could be entitled to significant compensation. A recognized U.S. News & World Report Best Law Firm, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has spent decades helping women across Buffalo assert their rights to a fair recovery. Since our founding in 2005, our attorneys have secured more than $300 million in damages money that our clients have used to pay down existing medical debt, afford higher-quality care, and begin rebuilding in the wake of a life-altering diagnosis.

We could help you, too.

Call Jed Dietrich, Esq., at 716-839-3939 to speak to a chemical hair relaxer injury lawyer in Buffalo and schedule your 100% free, no-obligation consultation as soon as possible.

Researchers from Boston University recently determined that African-American women who use hair relaxers twice or more per year for a period of at least five years are 50% more likely to be diagnosed with uterine cancer than women who do not use chemical relaxers. The same study from Boston University also noted that, while women of all races use chemical relaxers, Black women report using them at higher rates than the general population. Overall, at least 95% of African-American women have received some form of hair-straightening treatment at least once in their lives.

“While specific [hair relaxer] formulations are proprietary, potentially harmful toxicants and carcinogens such as formaldehyde and heavy metals may be present in chemical hair relaxers,” the study says. In addition, these products are known to contain chemicals called phthalates and parabens, which can cause disruptions to your body’s endocrine system. These so-called “endocrine-disrupting chemicals” are associated with several different types of hormonal imbalance and can damage your reproductive organs.

Hair relaxers have been tentatively linked to:

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

Nobody understands exactly how or why these chemicals could trigger the development of cancer, but scientists have proposed the following explanations:

1. The introduction of carcinogens. The presence of formaldehyde and other chemicals could introduce carcinogens to the body or change your natural hormone levels, making it easier for genes to mutate.
2. Accidental product misuse. Some people, particularly women who do their own perms at home, may inadvertently leave relaxers in their hair for longer than the recommended time. This can injure your scalp, potentially leading to the increased absorption of cancer-causing chemicals.

In a separate consumer warning, the Food and Drug Administration stated that, when certain carcinogen-containing relaxers are heated, they can release formaldehyde and other chemicals 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,” the FDA says. Longer-term effects could include “more frequent headaches, asthma, skin irritation, and allergic reactions, and possibly cancer.”

For decades, medical emergencies have been the leading cause of bankruptcy in the United States. Even for families with good health plans and plenty of money in savings, the costs of treatment can be exorbitantly expensive, especially if your insurance company disagrees on what constitutes necessary care.

You should not have to accept excuses in place of fair compensation.

Beauty companies are not subject to the same stringent regulations as the pharmaceutical industry, but these product-makers still have a legal responsibility to inform the public of any potential dangers associated with hair relaxers. If and when a company fails to do its due diligence, it could be held liable for the cost of any resulting injury.

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

1. Your medical debt;
2. The costs of future care;
3. Long-term and assisted living expenses;
4. Physical rehabilitation;
5. Elective or reconstructive surgery;
6. Lost income from work;
7. Emotional pain and suffering;
8. Physical pain and suffering;
9. Disfigurement; and
10. Wrongful death.

Unlike many states, New York does not cap or otherwise limit damages in most product liability lawsuits. This means that you could recover as much money as you need to replace your current losses and begin preparing for a bigger and more difficult fight against cancer. However, you cannot afford to wait too long to contact a personal injury lawyer. If you delay, key evidence could be lost, or the statute of limitations could lapse. Once this happens, you could lose your right to sue on a technicality.

Do not take chances with your rights: call Jed Dietrich, Esq., today at 716-839-3939 to schedule your free consultation and find out how much your Buffalo hair relaxer lawsuit could be worth.

Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 716-839-3939 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Buffalo, New York. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!