A major lawsuit has been filed against several prominent companies, alleging that their hair relaxer products have caused serious health issues. On November 27, 2024, Alsester Aline Coleman-Williams filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Godrej SON Holdings, Inc., L’Oréal USA, Inc., and other associated entities.
The case stems from allegations that the defendants’ hair relaxer products have caused significant injuries to the plaintiff, including uterine cancer. The complaint outlines that Coleman-Williams began using these products around 1990 and continued until 2023. The plaintiff contends that the use of specific products such as Organics by Africa’s Best Kids Organic Conditioning Relaxer System contributed to her health issues. She claims that the defendants failed to adequately warn consumers about potential risks associated with their products.
Coleman-Williams has adopted multiple causes of action from a Master Long Form Complaint related to Hair Relaxer Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation (MDL No. 3060). These include negligence, negligent misrepresentation, strict liability for design defects and failure to warn, breach of implied and express warranties under state law and the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, fraudulent misrepresentation and concealment, statutory consumer protection violations, unjust enrichment, wrongful death claims, survival actions, loss of consortium claims, and punitive damages.
The plaintiff seeks a jury trial and is demanding various forms of relief including compensatory damages for her injuries and suffering. She argues that the defendants’ actions were not only negligent but also deceptive in nature due to their failure to disclose known risks associated with their hair relaxer products.
This article was first published in Cook County Record.
