Woman claims L'Oréal hair straightening products caused uterine cancer: See details
By Team Newsable | First Published Oct 26, 2022, 11:01 AM ISTDiandra Debrosse Zimmermann, a lawyer for Mitchell, said her firm already has other clients in similar circumstances. She said there would likely be more lawsuits in the future, as "many women will be coming forward in the coming weeks and months to seek accountability."
A Missouri woman sued L'Oreal SA and alleged that she developed uterine cancer as a result of using the French cosmetic company's hair-straightening products.
On Friday, the lawsuit was filed at the federal court in Chicago. This came days after a study from the US National Institute of Environmental Health Safety (NIEHS) finding that hair-straightening products may significantly increase the risk of uterine cancer among frequent users.
Latest Videos
Also read: Akshata Murty, Rishi Sunak's wife, earned Rs 126.6 crore dividend from Infosys in 2022
Jennifer Mitchell, the plaintiff, said that she was diagnosed with uterine cancer in 2018, after using L'Oreal's products since about 2000, when she was 10. She is asking the court to order L'Oreal to pay unspecified money damages and to pay for medical monitoring.
Diandra Debrosse Zimmermann, a lawyer for Mitchell, said her firm already has other clients in similar circumstances. She said there would likely be more lawsuits in the future, as "many women will be coming forward in the coming weeks and months to seek accountability."
Also read: Anand Mahindra shares Winston Churchill’s 1947 remarks on Indians as Rishi Sunak becomes UK PM
L'Oreal, however, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to federal government data, uterine cancer is the most common gynecologic cancer in the United States, with rates rising, particularly among Black women.
Last week, NIEHS researcher Che-Jung Chang had said that the new study could be particularly relevant to Black women because they tend to use hair straighteners more frequently and beginning at earlier ages than people of other races.
Also read: Top 7 reasons you might be gaining weight; know some effective ways to manage it
Mitchell, who is Black, accuses L'Oreal of deliberately marketing its hair-straightening products to Black women and girls and failed to warn of risks, despite knowing since at least 2015 that they contained potentially dangerous chemicals.
The lawsuit also said that the company "profited, significantly" from "unethical and illegal conduct that caused plaintiff to purchase and habitually use a dangerous and defective product"
subscribe to Asianet Newsable WhatsApp channel by clicking here. For more reliable and latest news
subscribe to Asianet Newsable Telegram channel by clicking here.