Ruling Marks Most Recent Win for Multidistrict Litigation Case Filed in October 2022
CHICAGO – February 20, 2025 – The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois has denied motions to dismiss filed by Advanced Beauty Inc., John Paul Mitchell Systems, and Wella Operations US LLC and Wella AG in the ongoing multidistrict litigation concerning toxic chemical hair relaxer products. This ruling allows the plaintiffs’ claims to proceed, marking a significant victory for those affected by the alleged harmful effects of hair straightening and hair relaxing products.
The plaintiffs allege that their frequent use of hair relaxer products from these companies caused them to develop ovarian cancer and uterine cancer. The Court held that the plaintiffs’ allegations were well-pled and provided fair notice of the claims against the defendants. This decision is a crucial step in holding these companies accountable for the potential harm caused by their products.
“The Court’s finding is a significant win for our clients and for all those who have been harmed by these dangerous products,” said Diandra “Fu” Debrosse, co-chair of DiCello Levitt’s Mass Tort Practice Group. “We are committed to seeking justice for the thousands of women affected by the toxic chemical hair relaxers—many of whom are from minority populations.”
The first case against the chemical hair relaxer manufacturers was filed in October 2022 by Debrosse after the National Cancer Institute published a study by the National Institute of Health that found that women who used chemical hair relaxing products four or more times per year were more than twice as likely to develop uterine cancer as those who did not use the products.
Debrosse is joined as Co-Lead Counsel by Ben Crump of the Ben Crump Law Firm, Fidelma Fitzpatrick of Motley Rice LLC, and Michael A. London of Douglas & London PC.
Debrosse is widely recognized for her relentless client advocacy, representing individuals and public entities injured by wrongful conduct, whether from defective medical devices or drugs, environmental contamination, corporate misconduct, and civil rights abuses.
About DiCello Levitt
At DiCello Levitt, we’re dedicated to achieving justice for our clients through class action, environmental, mass tort, securities, financial services, antitrust, business-to-business, public client, whistleblower, personal injury, and civil and human rights litigation. Our lawyers are highly respected for their ability to litigate and win cases—whether by trial, settlement, or otherwise—for people who have suffered harm, global corporations that have sustained significant economic losses, and public clients seeking to protect their citizens’ rights and interests. Every day, we put our reputations—and our capital—on the line for our clients.
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