Many women have filed hair relaxer lawsuits to hold manufacturers like Strength of Nature, LLC, the manufacturer of Motions and Just For Me hair relaxers, accountable for their negligence. These manufacturers failed to warn consumers of the health risks associated with their products and can be held liable in product liability lawsuits.
If you suffered from a hormone-sensitive health condition such as ovarian cancer or endometriosis due to using Just For Me or Motions hair relaxers, you could file a hair relaxer lawsuit to pursue compensation for damages. A product liability lawyer can help you hold Strength of Nature, LLC and its parent company Godrej Group accountable for negligence that led to severe health conditions like uterine cancer, uterine fibroids, and ovarian cancer.
Motions is One of the Most Popular Brands of Hair Relaxers
One of the hair relaxer brands mentioned in the ongoing hair relaxer lawsuit is Motions, a famous brand manufactured and sold by Strength of Nature, LLC. This brand of hair relaxer is popular among hair stylists, so women are likely to see it used in hair salons for hair-relaxing treatments. Motions is sold in major retailers like Walmart, Amazon, and Walgreens. The marketing for Motions hair relaxer products focuses on black women, promising to provide them with smooth, silky hair after using the product.
Some of the Motions hair relaxer products on the market include:
- Motions Classic Mild Formula Hair Relaxer
- Motions Professional, Smooth & Straighten
- Motions Classic Lye Relaxer Formula
- Motions Smooth & Straighten Hair Relaxer
Strength of Nature is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Godrej Group, an Indian-based international conglomerate corporation. They own and operate businesses in many sectors, including real estate, appliances, and consumer products. Strength of Nature also sells and manufactures the Just For Me brand of child hair relaxers.
The History of Just For Me
Recent hair relaxer lawsuits have been filed to hold manufacturers of hair relaxers accountable for possible health risks not mentioned in product labeling or marketing. One of the products mentioned in hair relaxer litigation is Strength of Nature, LLC’s Just For Me, a popular at-home hair relaxer brand for children. Just For Me hit the market in the 1990s as a product advertised to help girls straighten their hair.
After Just For Me became a prominent children’s hair relaxer brand, Godrej Group acquired Strength of Nature, LLC. Godrej Group is an Indian-based international conglomerate that owns and operates subsidiaries in various business sectors, such as real estate, furniture, and consumer products.
Just For Me continues to be a popular children’s brand of hair relaxers, currently being sold in most major retailers like Amazon, Walgreens, and Walmart.
Study Links Consistent Hair Relaxer Usage to Uterine Cancer
Recently, women have filed lawsuits alleging negligence from hair relaxer manufacturers due to an October 2022 National Institute of Health (NIH) study. An NIH subsidiary conducted the Sister Study, which sought to find a connection between hair product use and medical conditions in women ages 35-74. Each year over eleven years, women involved in the Sister Study would answer a questionnaire to establish which hair products they used and what medical conditions they dealt with. The researchers at NIH used the data of 33,497 women involved in the Sister Study and found a connection between hair relaxer use and uterine cancer.
The NIH study discovered that women who use chemical hair relaxers, such as Motions brand hair relaxers, at least four times a year increase their uterine cancer risk by more than double. There were 378 cases of uterine cancer reported by women whose data was assessed by NIH researchers.
Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals in Motions Hair Relaxers
The reason for the increased cancer risk among hair relaxers users is the toxic endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) contained in hair relaxers. These chemicals are necessary to break down the hair’s protein structure, but prolonged exposure to these toxic chemicals can cause cancer.
EDCs interfere with the body’s hormone balance by blocking hormone functionality and altering the body’s sensitivity to hormones. This can cause hormone-sensitive health issues that can cause significant health complications. Some of the EDCs in Motions hair relaxers that can cause hormone-sensitive health issues include formaldehyde, parabens, phthalates, bisphenol A, and various metals.
Uterine Cancer Caused by Motions Hair Relaxers
The most common health condition caused by EDC exposure through hair relaxer use is uterine cancer. It is a type of hormone-sensitive cancer that affects the cells of the uterus. There are two types of uterine cancer: uterine sarcoma and endometrial cancer. Uterine sarcoma affects the uterus’s muscle wall (myometrium), whereas endometrial cancer affects the inner lining of the uterus (endometrium).
Some symptoms associated with uterine cancer include abnormal vaginal bleeding, pelvic and abdominal pain, and thin white or clear vaginal discharge. Depending on the severity of a woman’s uterine cancer, they may require a hysterectomy. This surgical procedure removes part or all of the uterus, which can lead to acquired absolute factor infertility.
Motions Hair Relaxer Use Can Cause Uterine Fibroids
The consistent use of hair relaxers like Motions can cause other health issues, including uterine fibroids. These are muscular tumors that can grow in the uterus. Despite not being cancerous, they can cause significant pain, as they can grow eight inches in width. Some of the symptoms of uterine fibroids include heavy bleeding, constipation, lower back pain, and bloating.
The connection between uterine fibroids and hair relaxers comes from a 2012 American Journal of Epidemiology study that found EDC exposure can cause uterine fibroids. In most cases, women who suffer from uterine fibroids must get a hysterectomy to remove them before they grow too big.
Ovarian Cancer Caused by Motions Hair Relaxers
Another hormone-sensitive cancer caused by consistent hair relaxer use is ovarian cancer, which occurs when the cells in one or both ovaries mutate. The ovaries are vital for reproductive functioning, as they store and create eggs. Unlike other forms of cancer, ovarian cancer does not have obvious symptoms that can indicate a woman has it. This can make it difficult to diagnose, meaning it can grow worse with a woman knowing it. Once ovarian cancer becomes severe, the only treatment option is to get surgery to remove the cancerous ovary or ovaries.
Just For Me Hair Relaxers Contain Toxic Chemicals
Just For Me has come under fire like other hair relaxer brands for containing toxic endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). They can interfere with the endocrine system and the body’s natural hormone production, leading to hormone imbalance and health issues. Consistent use of hair relaxers like Just For Me can expose someone to EDCs and cause health issues because they can block hormone functionality and alter the body’s hormone sensitivity.
The following are some of the EDCs discovered in Just For Me hair relaxers:
- Formaldehyde
- Phthalates
- Bisphenol A
- Parabens
- Cyclosiloxanes
- Metals
- Triclosan
- Diethanolamine
- Sodium hydroxide
Black Women Have an Increased Uterine Cancer Risk
Black women are at an increased risk of suffering uterine cancer from hair relaxers because they use hair relaxers more often than women of other races. The researchers of the NIH study found that 60% of the women who reported using hair relaxers were black despite making up less than 10% of the women involved in the study.
Part of the reason for black women’s increased usage of hair relaxers is to adhere to eurocentric beauty standards that call for straight hair. Hair relaxer sellers and manufacturers know that black women use hair relaxers more often than women of other racial groups. Therefore, the marketing push behind these products focuses on black women.
Just For Me is Marketed Specifically to Young People
Just For Me is a hair relaxer specifically targeted toward young children, which can expose them to dangerous toxic chemicals from a young age. The consistent use of hair relaxers from childhood can cause them to be exposed more to EDCs than if they were to start in adulthood.
You have a chance of EDC exposure that can cause uterine cancer no matter when you use hair relaxers. However, beginning the process at a young age can increase the likelihood of future hormone-sensitive health issues because they would be using hair relaxers consistently over many years.
Strength of Nature, LLC Failed to Mention the Cancer Rsik Associated With Motions Hair Relaxers
Strength of Nature, LLC and Godrej Group can be held liable for damages caused by their Motions line of hair relaxer products for failing to warn consumers of the cancer risk associated with their products. Failing to warn of the carcinogenic effect of the toxic EDCs in Motions hair relaxers qualifies as a breach of duty of care, meaning they did not do everything in their power to keep consumers safe.
Consumers did not know that the EDCs in Motions hair relaxers could cause cancer, meaning they used dangerous products without realizing they contained carcinogens. Therefore, Strength of Nature, LLC and Godrej Group can be named as hair relaxer lawsuit defendants.
Filing a Just For Me Hair Relaxer Lawsuit
Victims of hormone-sensitive health issues that used Just For Me hair relaxers can file a hair relaxer lawsuit to hold Strength of Nature liable for negligence. It would fall under product liability, a type of personal injury lawsuit meant to hold manufacturers responsible for dangerous products. Godrej Group and Strength of Nature failed to warn consumers about the toxic EDCs contained in Just For Me hair relaxers, which can result in them being held liable in a hair relaxer lawsuit.
Plaintiffs of hair relaxer lawsuits have recently attempted to consolidate their cases into a hair relaxer lawsuit multi-district litigation (MDL). This would consolidate all hair relaxer lawsuits before one judge, benefitting plaintiffs by promoting consistency in discovery, allowing them to pool resources, and increasing the chances of a global settlement.
The Judicial Panel on Multi-District Litigation (JPML) heard oral arguments from both the plaintiffs and defendants on January 26th and will now deliberate on a decision regarding consolidation. Contact an experienced product liability lawyer today to learn how they can help you file a hair relaxer lawsuit for damages caused by Just For Me hair relaxers.
Damages in a Just For Me Hair Relaxer Lawsuit
If you received a hormone-sensitive cancer diagnosis because of the use of Just For Me hair relaxers, you could recover compensation for damages through a hair relaxer lawsuit. Your health condition will likely affect you financially, as you have to pay for medical expenses and miss time off of work.
You can also suffer psychologically and have your standard of living worsened by worries over your health, possible surgery, and life-altering complications of your medical condition. Contact a product liability lawyer today to calculate the true value of your current and future damages.
The following are some of the hair relaxer damages caused by Just For Me hair relaxer products:
- Medical expenses
- Medication
- Surgery
- Hospital stays
- Lab tests
- Imaging
- Chemotherapy
- Radiation therapy
- Hormone therapy
- Job-related losses
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning capacity
- Missed promotions
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of quality of life
- Wrongful death
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of services and support
- Loss of parental guidance
- Funeral and burial costs
How Can Dolman Law Group Help With Your Just For Me Hair Relaxer Lawsuit?
At Dolman Law Group, our product liability lawyers have a proven track record of helping victims of dangerous products recover fair compensation for their damages. Our hair relaxer lawyers can use their experience, skills, and insight to inform the lawsuit process and put you in the best position to recover compensation for your damages.
The following are some of the ways Dolman Law Group’s product liability lawyers can help you with your Just For Me hair relaxer lawsuit:
- Calculate the total cost of your current and future damages
- Explain your rights
- Draft and send the demand letter to the at-fault party
- Collect evidence to prove Strength of Nature’s liability
- Speak to expert witnesses
- Negotiate a fair settlement to compensate you for hair relaxer damages
- Represent you in a hair relaxer court case
- Keep you updated on the potential hair relaxer MDL
Our personalized legal counsel has helped many product liability victims recover fair compensation for their damages and get back on their feet after a severe injury or illness. Let our product liability lawyers use their considerable experience to help you recover compensation for damages in a Just For Me hair relaxer lawsuit.
Contact Dolman Law Group for Help With Your Motions or Just For Me Hair Relaxer Lawsuit
Dolman Law Group is a personal injury law firm that can help victims of hormone-sensitive health issues caused by hair relaxer use. Our product liability lawyers have over 100 years of combined experience holding negligent product manufacturers accountable and can do the same if you received damages from using Motions hair relaxers. Hair relaxer lawsuits seek to hold manufacturers like L’Oreal, Strength of Nature, and Namaste Laboratories accountable for failing to warn consumers about the cancer risk associated with their products.
Our experienced product liability lawyers can help with your Motions hair relaxer lawsuit by explaining your rights for pursuing compensation, assessing the true cost of your damages, and collecting evidence to prove the at-fault party’s liability. Contact Dolman Law Group today for a free consultation to learn about hair relaxer litigation, what a hair relaxer MDL would mean for your case, and how our product liability lawyers can help with your Motions hair relaxer lawsuit.