'Still feeling that void': St. Louis woman sues L'Oreal USA in Chicago, claims its straitening products gave her uterine cancer
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A woman says a popular hair care product caused major health problems for her, and now she's suing a beauty giant, right here in Chicago.
CBS 2's Marybel Gonzalez has details of the lawsuit against L'Oreal, filed in Illinois because it has one of its offices in Chicago.
Although she is the first to do so, her legal team said they are prepared to file other lawsuits because more women are coming forward with similar complaints.
Jenny Mitchell said her dreams of becoming a mother were shattered at 28 years old, when she was diagnosed with uterine cancer.
"I'm 32 years old right now and I'm still feeling that void of not being able to bear my own child," Mitchell said.
In a lawsuit filed Monday in federal court in Chicago, the Missouri resident said it was her use of L'Oreal USA chemical hair straightening products since the age of eight that caused her diagnosis.
Several other companies are listed in the complaint for assisting in the development, marketing and sale of the product.
"As most African American girls, chemical relaxers, chemical straighteners were introduced to us at a young age," Mitchell said.
The lawsuit comes days after the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences published the findings of the which linked the use of chemical hair straightening products to an increased risk of uterine cancer.
Black women may be more affected, according to the study, due to higher and more frequent use of them.
"Many of them use these chemical relaxers because of society pressures, but also because of these corporations that should've known the harmful effect that these chemicals were having on their customers," said attorney Benjamin Crump said.
"As women come forward and identify the products they used, then those manufacturers will be held accountable," added Diandra "Fu" Debrosse Zimmermann, an attorney representing Mitchell.
Attorneys for Mitchell said they've already filed similar lawsuits on behalf of women in California and New York. CBS 2 reached out to L'Oréal USA and the other companies listed in the complaint, but so far no response.
https://www.scribd.com/document/602669905/L-Oreal-lawsuit
