MDL 3060 · U.S. District Court, Northern District of IllinoisBellwether trials
Used chemical hair relaxers and have uterine or ovarian cancer? Ask a lawyer to check your claim.
Updated 11 sources
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Updated 11 sources
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These are cited sources. Their inclusion does not imply that they endorse People’s Justice or reviewed this page.
Mary M. Rowland · U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois · United States District Judge
Finding: The September 24, 2026 court notice schedules the first federal test trial for September 7, 2027. A scheduled test trial is not a payment date or a ruling that every claim succeeds.
Notification of docket entry, Document 2041 (opens in a new tab) · Sep 24, 2026 · Checked Oct 3, 2026
Che-Jung Chang · National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Epidemiology Branch · First-listed study author
Finding: The Sister Study analysis found an association between reported straightening-product use and later uterine cancer. The authors call for more research; the finding does not prove a product caused one person’s cancer.
Use of Straighteners and Other Hair Products and Incident Uterine Cancer (opens in a new tab) · Dec 8, 2022 · Checked Oct 3, 2026
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences · Journal of the National Cancer Institute · 2022
Read the source: Sister Study analysis of hair products and uterine cancer (opens in a new tab) · Checked Oct 3, 2026
The court has set a first test trial for September 7, 2027. It has not happened yet. A trial date does not promise a settlement or a payment for you.
Not covered by this case
Confirm the price of first contact, how the fee is calculated and any costs owed if the case does not win. Ask the firm to explain each term before you agree.
Source: ABA Model Rule 1.5: fees · as of Oct 3, 2026
Write down the brands, use dates and clinic names you recall. Keep existing labels, receipts and medical reports. Ask the provider how to request missing records.
Source: Health-record access, 45 CFR 164.524 · as of Oct 3, 2026
Give a lawyer the use history and diagnosis dates. Ask which claim can be brought and what filing deadline applies to you.
Source: Court guide: filing time limits · as of Oct 3, 2026
Ask whether the firm accepts your claim. Get any agreement and case-cost terms in writing. If you already have a lawyer, ask how the current court schedule affects your case.
Source: ABA Model Rule 1.5: fees · as of Oct 3, 2026
No settlement announced · Bellwether trials
Test trials are under way. Anyone quoting a payout figure today is guessing.
PubMed: Use of Hair Products in Relation to Ovarian Cancer Risk (opens in a new tab)
Ask a lawyer to check the products you used and your cancer report. The federal cases claim harm from chemical hair relaxers. Use of a product alone does not prove that it caused the illness or that a claim will win.
Start with the brands you used, when you began and stopped, and whether a salon applied the product. Give your best estimate if you cannot remember each date. Include other product names you recall, rather than choosing a brand from a lawsuit list to fill a gap. Mark which details come from receipts and which come from memory.
The 2022 study reports an association with uterine cancer and calls for more research. Its use-frequency groups are research categories. Do not treat four uses per year as a legal threshold that decides whether to ask about a claim. Ask the lawyer what evidence and rules apply to your own product history.
The court’s September 24, 2026 notice sets the first federal test trial for September 7, 2027. It also sets monthly court conferences before the trial. Those dates are scheduled court events; the test trial has not happened yet.
The federal cases are grouped for pretrial work in MDL 3060 in the Northern District of Illinois before Judge Mary M. Rowland. MDL means cases share coordinated pretrial proceedings. It does not turn each person’s injury claim into an identical claim or establish that each plaintiff is owed money.
The October 1 panel report lists 12,381 actions pending in that federal group. That count does not measure everyone who has used a relaxer, all state cases or the number eligible for payment. The underlying report is a dated count; ask about a newer court event if you already have a claim.
No one has announced a per-person payout in the September 24 court notice reviewed here. It sets court dates, not an award grid. This page gives no payout estimate or promise of a deal to resolve claims.
Keep records of care costs and other harm you want the lawyer to consider. Ask which losses can be claimed and how the facts of your case would be assessed. Ask for the reason and source behind any amount you are shown.
If a lawyer discusses a possible offer, ask what it covers, which deductions apply and when any amount would become payable. Request the written terms. The court’s scheduled trial and conference dates are not payment dates. A future trial can produce different results, so do not budget around an assumed award.
Ask the firm if the first talk has a charge. Before signing, request written fee and expense terms. Ask what costs you could owe if the case does not win.
Ask whether any lawyer fee depends on the result and how it is calculated. Then ask about separate costs for records, experts and filing. Find out whether those costs come out before or after the fee and what you could owe if the case loses. A fee tied to an outcome does not answer every expense question.
The American Bar Association’s model rule describes written terms for fees tied to an outcome. It does not establish the exact rule in your state or the agreement a firm will offer. Ask for a copy of the terms and an explanation of any part you do not understand.
Ask a lawyer to check your use history, diagnosis dates and the law that applies. The scheduled test trial is not a universal deadline to file a claim. This page does not calculate your filing date.
Give the lawyer the date on the report naming the cancer, when you learned of it and any prior legal claim or notice. Include your state and where you used or bought the products. The court guide explains that the law and type of claim determine the time limit; a website cannot derive one from a trial calendar.
If you stopped using relaxers years ago, say so rather than ruling yourself in or out. Ask the lawyer how the use dates, diagnosis and legal rules fit together. A closed window or an old product-use date alone does not let this page conclude that no legal route exists. Do not wait for the first trial to ask about time limits.
Make a short list of the products and dates you recall. Keep your diagnosis report and care records if you have them. Ask a lawyer about the claim rules and ask your care team any health questions; a lawsuit page is not a diagnosis.
Use separate notes for product history and medical history. For product use, list salon names, where you bought products and any packages or receipts you still have. For care, list the clinics and the report that names the illness. Do not create a precise history from guesswork just because a form asks for dates.
The study’s reported association does not show that a particular product caused an individual’s illness. Discuss medical decisions with a qualified clinician who knows your history. A legal claim check and health care answer different questions; keep both sets of questions for the appropriate person.
Ask which firm will review the information and whether it takes claims like yours. Request the next step and fee terms in writing. Sending a form does not let this page confirm that a lawyer has accepted the case.
Before sharing medical records, ask who will receive them and how the firm wants them sent. If it offers representation, ask what work the agreement covers and who will keep you informed. Ask about the charge for first contact, when to expect a reply and who can read the records you send.
If you already have a lawyer, ask it about the September 24 notice and your own case. A court conference for the grouped litigation is different from an appointment or deadline for every claimant. Before sending a new form, ask your current lawyer what to do. Ask whether you need to attend any hearing rather than relying only on the public calendar.
The original study abstract reports a link between straightening-product use and later uterine cancer. It calls for more research to check the finding and identify chemicals. That link does not prove a product caused one person’s illness.
Preserve original product and care documents without changing them to fit a claim description. If a relative helps build the timeline, ask them to mark what they personally recall. Write down changes of brand and periods when you did not use a relaxer. This is a suggested preparation list, not a checklist that guarantees acceptance.
The federal health-record rule generally permits access to covered records, subject to exceptions. A provider may require a written request, and certain copying costs may apply. Ask the provider about its process and keep the request and reply. Do not delay a time-limit check until every record arrives.
The answers below explain the court schedule, the research and the first steps for a claim check. They do not decide medical causation or a filing deadline for you. Ask a lawyer to apply the rules to your own history.
The study asks about a group of people and later illness. A legal claim concerns particular products, an injury and the governing law. A future test trial is another distinct question: it is a court event, not a payment program for all users. Keep those distinctions in mind when reading an update.
The source list includes the September 24 court notice, the federal transfer order, a dated case-count report and the original study’s abstract. The notice is a court document hosted by a news site. It is the source of the trial date used here.
The panel’s count is dated October 1, 2026; it is not a live count. The study summary here uses the authors’ published abstract. Ask your lawyer about any later court order that changes the trial calendar or affects your claim.
Your state
Deadlines vary by state and by case. A lawyer can confirm yours.
No, the uterine-cancer study does not prove that a relaxer caused your cancer. The study reported an association and called for more research. A lawyer still needs product, use, diagnosis, and causation evidence.
Source: Chang et al., Use of Straighteners and Other Hair Products and Incident Uterine Cancer · as of Oct 7, 2026
The federal MDL involves chemical hair relaxer products sold by multiple defendant groups, including L’Oreal, SoftSheen-Carson, Namaste, Strength of Nature/Godrej, House of Cheatham, PDC Brands, Parfums de Coeur, and Revlon-related actions. The transfer order does not verify every brand name or decide whether a particular product creates a claim. A lawyer can compare your product history with current pleadings and orders.
Source: JPML transfer order, February 6, 2023 · as of Oct 7, 2026
Possibly. A lawyer must check your product use, diagnosis, timing, and state law. The federal MDL schedule does not decide who has a usable claim.
Source: JPML transfer order, February 6, 2023 · as of Oct 7, 2026
Give your best use dates, the product names and the report naming your cancer. Ask how the relevant law treats those dates. Stopping years ago alone does not let this page decide your claim or deadline.
Source: Court guide: filing time limits · as of Oct 7, 2026
The MDL concerns allegations about chemical hair relaxer and hair-straightening products containing phthalates or other endocrine-disrupting chemicals. The transfer order does not include ordinary heat-only styling tools as products at issue. A lawyer can review whether any chemical treatment you used appears in current pleadings.
Source: JPML transfer order, February 6, 2023 · as of Oct 7, 2026
It depends. The JPML schedule listed a Revlon-related action among the transferred hair-relaxer cases. A lawyer can check the current defendant status, any bankruptcy effect, and your own records.
Source: JPML transfer order, February 6, 2023 · as of Oct 7, 2026
The September 24, 2026 court notice sets it for September 7, 2027. It is scheduled, not completed, and could be changed by a later order. It is not a promise of money for every claimant.
FDA has a proposed-rule agenda item that would prohibit formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing chemicals in heated hair smoothing or straightening products. The current timetable lists an NPRM date in November 2026. That regulatory status does not decide any individual claim.
Source: OIRA Unified Agenda: formaldehyde in hair smoothing or straightening products · as of Oct 7, 2026
Checked against 10 primary sources by People's Justice editors · Updated
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