Predicted Hair Relaxer Lawsuit Settlement Amounts (2024)

The emerging research is clear: Using chemical hair relaxer on a long-term basis can increase your risk for developing certain cancers—especially uterine cancer—and other conditions. If you developed cancer or another serious health condition after using chemical hair straightener, you may be eligible for a hair relaxer lawsuit payout. Read on to learn more about hair relaxer settlement amounts.

Status of Hair Relaxer Lawsuits

As of April 2024, there have been no settlements or damage awards in any hair relaxer lawsuits against manufacturers. The primary support for these lawsuits comes from a study published in October 2022 linking hair relaxer products to cancer. The lawsuits against the manufacturers started after its publication.

Has anyone received a settlement from the hair relaxer lawsuit? Unfortunately for victims, cases like these can take years. Thus, we cannot use past damage awards to predict future settlements.

Moreover, in the 18 months since the study was published, the manufacturers have not publicly announced any hair straightener lawsuit settlement amounts. As far as the public record goes, none of the lawsuits were settled.

There is a chance that one or more claims were settled confidentially without the victims ever filing a lawsuit. Manufacturers use confidentiality clauses in settlement agreements specifically to prevent other victims from learning the hair relaxer lawsuit settlement amounts paid to other victims.

When publicly known, this information can give other victims an advantage in negotiations. But in this case, the lack of information about any settlements probably means that no settlements have been reached because the cases are so new.

Predicting Hair Relaxer Lawsuit Settlement Amounts

Victims in cases involving defective products have two options for filing their lawsuits. First, individual victims can file a lawsuit against the manufacturer. If you file as an individual, you have full control over your lawsuit. You and your lawyer decide every issue that arises. The drawback of individual lawsuits is that you and your lawyer bear the full burden in time and resources of fighting a multi-billion dollar defendant.

Second, many victims can file together as a class. Individual victims lose control over the case. But they can also drop out of the class before they accept a final settlement and pursue an individual case. The benefit of class action lawsuits is the burden of fighting a powerful and rich company is spread across many plaintiffs and lawyers.

Another term you will hear when researching hair relaxer lawsuit settlement amounts is “multidistrict litigation.” This term, often abbreviated MDL, describes a court procedure in which a single federal court oversees all the federal cases that have common issues and parties. For example, the Northern District of Illinois oversees MDL cases involving cancers from chemical hair relaxers.

MDL cases are not class actions. Each individual case retains its separate existence after being transferred to the MDL court. However, the court can consolidate the discovery process and standardize the motions practice to reduce the burden of litigation on both the plaintiffs and the hair relaxer companies.

As of April 2024, L’Oreal, Revlon, and Strength of Nature Global are facing both class action and individual suits. For those wondering when will the hair relaxer lawsuit be settled, manufacturers often settle only when they face an impending trial. In these cases, trial dates might not occur until late 2025.

Factors That Influence Hair Relaxer Payouts

This is important because the type of lawsuit will affect the hair relaxer settlement the victim receives. Individual lawsuits will often earn more for a victim because their lawyer can present a real cancer patient to a jury. By putting a face to the claims, the jury might be inclined to issue a large award.

Class action lawsuits, on the other hand, often look big from the outside but might not provide large payouts to the victims. For example, suppose that a manufacturer settles a class action for $2 billion. That seems like a lot, but if there are 10,000 victims in the class, you only get an average of $200,000 per victim.

Equally importantly, class action lawsuits only account for the individual’s unique factors after settlement. Thus, each victim will not receive an equal share of the settlement. Instead, a larger portion of the settlement will go to those with more serious outcomes, such as terminal cancer. Those with less serious outcomes, like non-cancerous fibroids, will get a smaller share.

This principle applies to individual lawsuits as well. The losses suffered by the victims will play a large role in determining the amount a victim receives. In an individual lawsuit, a lawyer can present losses specific to your situation, such as medical bills and income losses. As a result, the amount of a hair relaxer lawsuit fibroids payout will likely be less than the payout in a hair relaxer lawsuit for terminal ovarian or uterine cancer.

Learning More About Hair Relaxer Payouts

The recency of these filings can work in your favor. If you suffered an injury due to your long-term use of hair relaxer products, you can file an individual lawsuit or join a class action lawsuit. Your participation means you can play a role in determining the size of the final settlement.

Legal procedures can be lengthy, complicated, and emotionally draining. However, the clock is ticking due to statutes of limitation, making it imperative to act swiftly and decisively. If you believe you've been affected by harmful hair relaxer products, now is the time to explore your legal options.

At ConsumerShield, we understand the gravity of the situation. That's why we offer free claim reviews to help you understand your legal standing and the best course of action tailored to your circumstances. Our experts can guide you through each stage of this complex process. Fill out our Contact Form for a free case review and to learn how we can connect you with a lawyer to start your injury claim.