This article provides educational information. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Consult with a qualified attorney regarding your specific situation.
When thousands of individuals file similar lawsuits against the same defendants, federal courts have a mechanism to manage those cases efficiently while preserving each plaintiff's individual rights. That mechanism is multidistrict litigation, known as an MDL. The hair relaxer cases are consolidated in MDL 3060, formally titled In Re: Hair Relaxer Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation, pending in the Northern District of Illinois.
MDL vs. Class Action: An Important Distinction
The hair relaxer litigation is not a class action, though media coverage sometimes uses that term. In a class action, a small group of representative plaintiffs sues on behalf of an entire class, and one settlement or judgment resolves all claims with largely uniform compensation. In an MDL, each plaintiff maintains their own individual lawsuit. Cases are transferred to the MDL court for coordinated pretrial proceedings, but each case is evaluated on its own facts and circumstances. Compensation reflects individual case value rather than a class-wide average. For plaintiffs with serious injuries, this distinction is significant.
The Plaintiffs' Steering Committee
MDL courts appoint a Plaintiffs' Steering Committee, or PSC, composed of experienced attorneys selected from those representing plaintiffs in the litigation. The PSC handles common work that benefits all plaintiffs, including coordinating discovery, retaining expert witnesses, litigating shared legal questions, and participating in settlement negotiations. Each plaintiff still has their own attorney responsible for that individual's case and communications. The PSC operates at the litigation-wide level to build the foundations that support all individual claims.
Bellwether Trials and Their Significance
A defining feature of large MDL proceedings is the use of bellwether trials. These are individual cases selected from the broader MDL to go to trial first, chosen because they represent the range of claims across the litigation. Their outcomes provide both sides with critical information about how juries respond to the evidence and what damages awards look like in practice, and they create settlement pressure as real trial results replace speculative ones. In the hair relaxer MDL, bellwether cases are being selected from among filed claims involving uterine, endometrial, or ovarian cancer diagnoses with completed Plaintiff Fact Sheets, with trials currently expected to begin in 2027.
Plaintiff Fact Sheets
Every plaintiff in the MDL must complete a Plaintiff Fact Sheet, a standardized document collecting detailed information about product use history, medical history, diagnosis, and damages. Compliance is strictly enforced. The court has dismissed cases where plaintiffs missed submission deadlines or failed to correct identified deficiencies within court-ordered timeframes. Individuals who join the MDL must work closely with their attorney to ensure their Plaintiff Fact Sheet is accurate, complete, and submitted on schedule.
Current Status
As of mid-2026, the hair relaxer MDL contains more than 11,700 active cases and ranks among the largest active federal multidistrict litigations in the country. The litigation has moved through coordinated discovery and is now focused on expert witness issues, bellwether preparation, and a court-scheduled Science Day at which both sides will present medical and scientific evidence. A mediator has been appointed, suggesting settlement discussions are underway alongside continued trial preparation.
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