The record
Key facts
Fact 01
11,877 — pending cases, 4th-largest active MDL
Source: https://www.jpml.uscourts.gov/
Fact 02
MDL-3060 — N.D. Ill., Judge Mary M. Rowland
Source: https://www.jpml.uscourts.gov/
The entity
Record
The hair relaxer litigation (MDL-3060, Judge Mary M. Rowland, N.D. Illinois) consolidates claims that chemical straightening products caused uterine and other hormone-driven cancers, with filings accelerating after federal researchers published findings linking frequent relaxer use to elevated uterine-cancer risk.
As of July 1, 2026 the docket held 11,877 pending cases — the fourth-largest active MDL in the country — against L'Oréal and other manufacturers. The litigation is in active common discovery; no bellwether verdicts have been returned. Allegations remain allegations until adjudicated.
The claimant population and marketing history give this docket an unusually pointed accountability dimension — products marketed heavily to Black women over decades — which is central to plaintiffs' failure-to-warn theories.
Public-record events
Timeline
| Date | Event | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 1, 2026 | Other | Docket reaches 11,877 pending cases — fourth-largest active MDL. ↗ |
| Feb 6, 2023 | Other | JPML centralizes the hair relaxer litigation as MDL-3060 in the Northern District of Illinois. ↗ |
Related litigation
Cases
Sources & attribution