Lawmakers note that women of color are disproportionately put at increased cancer risk from hair relaxers while the formaldehyde ban is delayed.
State court trials are likely to begin well before the first federal hair relaxer lawsuits go before a jury involving allegations that products caused women to develop uterine cancer, endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer and other injuries.
The retailers have only been named in a small number of uterine, endometrial or ovarian cancer lawsuits over hair relaxer side effects
Formaldehyde health risks have been widely recognized for years, and could directly expose those using hair relaxer to toxic cancer causing chemicals.
Many hair relaxer lawsuits were filed by women without confirmed cancer diagnoses, due to fears their filings would be blocked by deadlines imposed by the U.S. bankruptcy court.
L'Oreal, which faces a majority of hair relaxer lawsuits, indicates it welcomes a formaldehyde ban, as it claims none of its products use the chemical.
More than one million Americans face an increased risk of leukemia, head and neck cancers from chronic formaldehyde exposure, according to the EPA.
Defendants' motion to dismiss hair relaxer chemical class action lawsuits is inconsistent with the law, plaintiffs' attorneys argue.
Lawyers are scheduled to meet with the judge presiding over the hair relaxer lawsuits this week, as plaintiffs accuse manufacturers of engaging in an effort to unnecessarily delay the litigation and start of bellwether trials.
Motion to dismiss argues that the hair relaxer class action lawsuit does not involve plaintiffs who suffered an actual injury, and that the claims are preempted by federal law.
