October 15, 2025
The Georgia Supreme Court has reversed an earlier decision that blocked a woman’s lawsuit claiming that chemicals in certain hair relaxer products caused her to develop uterine fibroids. The case, Burroughs v. Strength of Nature Glob., Nos. S24G1387, S24G1388, 2025 LX 415024 (Oct. 15, 2025), involves Kiara Burroughs, who began using hair relaxers in 1995. Over the years, she used several products made by Strength of Nature and L’Oreal USA. In 2018, Burroughs was diagnosed with uterine fibroids, and in 2022, she filed a lawsuit against both companies. Burroughs says the hair relaxers contained phthalates and other chemicals that can interfere with hormones and increase the risk of health problems such as fibroids, cancer, and endometriosis. She argues that the products were unsafe and caused her condition.  

Why the Case Was Initially Dismissed

The manufacturers tried to have the case thrown out on a motion to dismiss, saying Burroughs waited too long to sue. They pointed to Georgia’s 10-year statute of repose, which limits how long after a product is first sold someone can file a lawsuit. The Court of Appeals agreed with the companies last year, ruling that the 10-year clock started when Burroughs first bought the hair relaxing products—meaning her claims were too late.  

What the Supreme Court Decided

The Georgia Supreme Court disagreed. In their October 15, 2025 Order, the justices ruled that when a person uses multiple products over time, the 10-year clock starts separately for each one. The specific language they used was “first sale for use of consumption,” which means every bottle or box of hair relaxer sold begins its own 10-year countdown from the time it was sold as new to a customer. In other words, Burroughs’s case can still move forward for any products she bought within 10 years before she filed her lawsuit.  

What It Means Going Forward

The Court’s ruling gives Burroughs a chance to continue her case, but it won’t be easy. Ms. Burroughs still has to prove that the specific products she used in that 10-year window directly caused her fibroids, as opposed to the products she used in the decades preceding that time frame — something that could be difficult given her long history of product use. This decision could also affect other cases involving cosmetic or personal care products or even pharmaceuticals (prescription and over-the-counter drugs), especially those used repeatedly over time. It clarifies that each sale counts separately under Georgia’s product liability law, an important distinction for Georgia consumers injured by products.