When Will Hair Relaxer Lawsuits Be Settled? (April 2025)

When Will the Hair Relaxer Lawsuit Be Settled?

The short answer here is that no one knows exactly when the hair relaxer lawsuit will be settled. It is still in its early stages. Given the large number of people filing, the case has been consolidated into multidistrict litigation (MDL).

With MDL, case consolidation is temporary. To help speed up the process, cases are grouped together for pretrial proceedings, but each one remains separate. A February 2025 hair relaxer lawsuit update indicated that there are now almost 10,000 plaintiffs in the MDL, but that number is likely to grow.

Currently, the lawsuit is in the discovery stages. During discovery, attorneys for the plaintiffs (the people filing the lawsuits) and the defense (the companies accused of misconduct) gather evidence and share it with the court.

As a general rule, larger, more complex cases tend to have longer discovery periods that may last several months or even years. At this point, it’s impossible to tell how long this phase will take — or how soon you can expect to start seeing settlements.

After discovery, the judge and the involved parties will select a few cases to serve as bellwether trials. These early cases are tried before the rest, and they give everyone involved a better idea of what the future hair relaxer lawsuit settlement amounts might look like.

Factors Impacting Settlement Timeline

If you have suffered a major illness as a confirmed or suspected result of relaxer-related chemical exposure, you might wish you had a clearer idea of when the lawsuits will settle. While no one knows for certain when that will happen, it may be helpful to learn some of the most important factors that influence the timeline of lawsuit settlements:

The Complexity of the Case

In nearly every instance, MDL cases take longer to resolve than ordinary injury lawsuits. If you file a lawsuit against someone who injures you in a car accident, that lawsuit would likely be resolved faster than an MDL lawsuit.

However, there is an especially high number of plaintiffs suing the manufacturers of hair relaxers. As such, consolidating the litigation into an MDL is making it more efficient than it otherwise would be.

Openness to Negotiation

Some defendants approach MDL cases with a willingness to come to a settlement agreement. Others are determined to fight no matter what. In this case, evidence is still being discovered, so it's too early to tell whether the manufacturers will be open to negotiating with attorneys for the plaintiffs.

The Facts of the Case

Some lawsuits are more straightforward than others. Unfortunately, whenever medical conditions are involved, cases tend to be very complicated — and this is particularly true of cases involving cancer. Cancer is a complex disease with many causes, and those causes can include both genetic and lifestyle factors.

Research has indicated that there is a clear link between hair relaxers and uterine cancer. However, the defendants are likely to argue that the plaintiffs’ cancer diagnoses were due to genetics or other kinds of environmental exposure.

It’s possible to successfully argue against these claims. However, to make their case more convincing, plaintiffs may need to call in expert medical witnesses to explain that the connection between relaxers and cancer is more than mere correlation. Finding and hiring these witnesses can take considerable time.

The Strength of the Evidence

In a similar vein, stronger evidence can sometimes lead to a case being resolved more quickly. Finding expert witnesses and building a compelling case against the manufacturers can take significant time. However, that time is well-spent. Once the plaintiffs have made a strong case, the defendants may be more likely to settle quickly.

Bellwether Trials

Bellwether trials are early test cases that give both sides an idea of how future lawsuits may play out. If bellwether trials are overwhelmingly in favor of the plaintiffs, the defendants may be more willing to settle. In turn, that means the lawsuits may be finalized sooner.

Have You Suffered Health Problems Because of Hair Relaxers?

Unfortunately, the many companies involved in the hair relaxer lawsuits are not the first to allegedly prioritize profits over consumer safety. And if past MDLs are any indication, it could be months or years before the lawsuits settle.

The good news is that if you have been diagnosed with uterine cancer, ovarian cancer or another serious illness after using hair relaxers, you still have time to join the lawsuits. The first step is to find the best hair relaxer lawsuit lawyer.

Not sure how to find the right attorney for you? No problem. At ConsumerShield, we’re dedicated to helping people like you find critical legal representation. You just need to fill out our form below, and we’ll match you to qualified local attorneys who can help you. Get started with a free case review today.